San Francisco 49ers fans have often accused NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms of being overly critical of quarterback Brock Purdy. Many felt he consistently downplayed Purdy's abilities, a sentiment shared by several analysts early in Purdy's NFL career. However, Simms appears to be changing his tune, at least based on a recent conversation.
Simms joined NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco on the 49ers Talk podcast and, much to the surprise of fans, offered high praise for the 49ers signal-caller.
Each year, Simms ranks NFL quarterbacks. Purdy came in at No. 17 last year. While Simms has yet to release this year's top 15, he confirmed that Purdy will be included in that group.
"I was encouraged with a lot of stuff I saw from Brock Purdy last year," Simms said. "I know it wasn't the best, but yeah, I have him in the top half of the league as far as a starting quarterback. And the thing I liked about him last year was I do feel like he did more off-schedule, more 'wow' plays, more 'wow' throws, making some more happen when it wasn't there to be had, maybe that he had the two years previous to that.
"That's where I saw a growth in his game, and that's exciting to me, that he untapped that and [did] that."
However, Simms added that he doesn't want to see Purdy abandon the machine-like decision-making he has displayed in the past, and feels the 49ers quarterback took a step back in that department last season.
The 49ers faced significant adversity in 2024, with injuries to key offensive players such as Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams. Simms believes that the instability led to Purdy trying to do too much on his own, resulting in uncharacteristic mistakes.
"I don't feel like he ran the system as well last year," Simms admitted, "but he did make more 'wow,' backyard off-schedule plays that I was really impressed by. Now, hopefully, we can get both of those to meet and mesh together."
While Maiocco acknowledged that Purdy may not stand out physically among NFL quarterbacks, he asked Simms to evaluate Purdy's mental processing and field awareness, areas where Purdy has consistently earned praise.
"Yeah, he's like top 10 in football in that department, there's no question," Simms responded. "Maybe even like, if I really got into that stuff, he might be top six or seven in football in that department."
Simms added that Purdy reads the field like a player who has been in the league for nine years.
"He can anticipate, and see a window, and just drop it in there before a guy comes out of his break," Simms said. "You've got to love that aspect about him. And then, yes, I know, whether watching him or talking to [head coach Kyle] Shanahan, it's unlimited, the playbook. He can handle all of that."
Despite praising Purdy's fit in Shanahan's system, Simms isn't ready to declare that the quarterback would have the same success elsewhere. He pointed to environments like Buffalo, where cold-weather games demand a different style, as locations where he might not thrive.
"But as far as decision-making, feel, anticipation, nuance of the game, when to go to backyard football, when to hold the ball in the pocket, and not put yourself in danger that way, that's where I really like Brock Purdy," Simms added. "And he's amazing at some of that stuff."
Simms concluded by noting that Purdy still has room to grow and likely hasn't hit his ceiling yet, a promising sign for the 49ers' future.