The Baltimore Ravens are gearing up for a pivotal Christmas night matchup against the San Francisco 49ers and undoubtedly wish to refrain from providing the opposition with any bulletin board material. Still, starting safety Kyle Hamilton wanted to emphasize his respect for the 49ers' second-year quarterback, Brock Purdy, despite lingering labels such as "game manager" or "system quarterback" still being cast on the young player.
These terms are being used to downplay what Purdy, the front-runner for NFL MVP, has accomplished this season. The narrative implies that Purdy's success is primarily attributed to the talented supporting cast around him and head coach Kyle Shanahan's exceptional offensive system.
When questioned about Purdy, Hamilton stated, "I mean, the word around the league is he's a system quarterback, and I just think that's not true. Just from what I've seen, he's making every throw that you can make as a quarterback, on time, on target, makes good decisions. He's mobile, and he's got a great cast around him at the same time. But yeah, he's really good, and props to him."
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton on Brock Purdy: "Word around the league is he's a system quarterback. That's not true." pic.twitter.com/gmqXgVyfjf
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) December 20, 2023
Purdy is on track to set a new franchise record for the most passing yards in a single season. He has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and leads the NFL with 29 touchdowns and a 119.0 passer rating.
San Francisco selected Purdy with the last overall pick in the 2022 draft. Although he began last season buried in the depth chart, injuries to two quarterbacks propelled him into the spotlight. Purdy has held onto the starting job, even after undergoing major offseason surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) he suffered in last season's NFC Championship Game.
Hamilton added, "It's a pretty cool story of what he's done now, and he's in the MVP race, so it's going to be a good challenge, but I'm excited to do it."