49ers’ Christian McCaffrey on Brock Purdy: “He’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with”

Brock Purdy has the unwavering support of his teammates, who recognize his pivotal role in getting the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl 58.

"He's the leader of this team," running back Christian McCaffrey told reporters on Wednesday. "Everything starts with him. He's one of the best players I've ever played with, and to be able to do it just in his second year, I think, what he's done, if you look at the numbers, and you didn't put his name at it, you would be in awe."

This season, Purdy broke the franchise record for the most passing yards in a single season. He threw 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, amassing 4,280 passing yards while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. Leading the NFL in passer rating with 113.0, averaging 9.6 yards per attempt, and boasting 13.9 yards per completion, Purdy showcased exceptional performance across the board.

All this comes after an offseason spent rehabilitating from surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury sustained in last season's NFC Championship Game.

Still, some critics still seek to downplay Purdy's achievements by attributing his success to his talented supporting cast and head coach Kyle Shanahan's system.

There's also Purdy's status as the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Such players aren't typically expected to have the impact Purdy has demonstrated.

"And then I think you add the fact that he was the last pick of the draft, you add the fact that I think people forget he rehabbed an elbow the whole entire offseason," McCaffrey continued. "He didn't get to throw until training camp, and now he's a quarterback in the Super Bowl in his second year in the NFL.

"I look back to my second year in the NFL, and if I had the success that he had, that's special. And I think it's only up from here, and I'm just happy, and we're lucky he's on our team."