Steve Young is impressed with what he has witnessed from San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy this season. Make no mistake, though, the Hall of Famer doesn't place the 49ers' second-year passer in the same category as dynamic playmakers like Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, who are set to face off in the AFC Championship Game.
Still, there is a place for a player like Purdy, who Young believes may be among the most efficient signal-callers in the game's history.
In a discussion about efficient quarterbacks with Rich Eisen on Monday, Young emphasized, "They still have a place, but they need a lot of help around them to be able to kind of go up against those guys."
Purdy certainly has a lot of help around him. The 49ers offense boasts playmakers like running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, and wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Although, the latter's status for Sunday's NFC Championship Game showdown against the Detroit Lions remains up in the air.
Purdy recently achieved a new franchise record for the most passing yards in a single season, completing nearly 70 percent of his attempts for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. His impressive 113.0 passer rating, 9.6 yards per attempt, and 13.9 yards per completion led the NFL.
"What he was able to do from an efficiency perspective, you might be able to make the case that there hasn't been a more efficient quarterback in the history of the game, in how he played this year," Young said. "For example, one of the stats that was the most amazing thing I've ever heard in my life is that the 49ers lead the league in yards per attempt if you just took the passes from the line of scrimmage and behind.
"Rich, those are 100 percent completion percentage almost. With zero risk or with very low risk, you're leading the league in yards per attempt against everybody else in the league."
Young also commended head coach Kyle Shanahan for his innovative approaches to attacking opposing defenses in open spaces.
While Purdy and the 49ers offense struggled in most of Sunday's playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, the second-year quarterback delivered when needed, orchestrating a 12-play, 69-yard game-winning touchdown drive in the closing minutes to lift the 49ers to their third consecutive NFC Championship Game.
"What happened? He became Mr. Efficient," Young stated. "The ball came out, they made the completions, they made the plays. He did everything that you would want a Super Bowl quarterback to do in the key moments. And he's young. It's amazing. There's going to be a movie about him. There's going to have to be a movie about him at some point. And I've interviewed him, and know him, and he's just a fascinating human being.
"And again, I think he's one of the best in the league, and he does it in his own Brock Purdy way. And I've said for over a year, let Brock cook. Give him a play, let him figure it out, and he will figure it out. He's got a special mind that can figure stuff out."