San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Thursday morning for his weekly interview. During the conversation, the topic turned to the team's franchise quarterback, Brock Purdy.
Through three games this season, Purdy has played at an MVP level. Whether he ultimately officially enters the NFL MVP conversation remains to be seen, but his performance so far has certainly put him in the discussion.
Purdy has completed a career-high 72.3% of his passes for 789 yards, nine touchdowns, one interception, and an NFL-leading 133.1 passer rating. He also has a rushing touchdown.
Lynch was asked about Purdy's leap in 2026, and the general manager admitted there's a reason why he finds it difficult to discuss the topic.
"It's tough to talk about the leap because he's been consistently really, really good since he's been here, and he's played at that level," Lynch said.
However, even Lynch acknowledged that something felt different about Purdy heading into this season.
"I personally have felt something a little different, like in training camp, throughout the offseason program," Lynch said. "I talked about it a few weeks ago. I think just like the conviction he's playing with, both in his decision-making. Even, it feels like there's a little more torque in the way he's throwing. He's been known as the layer king over the years. He's really driving the football this year.
"And then, I think, when you can combine efficiency with explosives, that's what he's doing. When you look at his numbers down the field, both efficient and explosive."
The numbers back Lynch's observation. Purdy has been especially efficient when throwing at least 20 yards downfield. He owns a 94.8 passing grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) on those throws, completing four of seven attempts for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
His passer rating on those deep throws is a remarkable 141.4.
Purdy is approaching his 2023 numbers in this area, when he earned a 98.3 PFF passing grade on deep passes.
"And then he can extend plays with his legs," Lynch continued. "He's a playmaker."
Lynch pointed to Purdy's impressive Week 2 performance against the Miami Dolphins, when he had just two incompletions on 22 attempts and earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Then, in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals, Purdy continued to demonstrate his playmaking ability, earning FedEx Air & Ground NFL Player of the Week honors.
Purdy would have had an impressive 45-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run against the Cardinals if not for a holding penalty on tight end George Kittle. It ultimately didn't matter, as Purdy connected with Kittle on a touchdown pass two plays later.
"But you got to see Brock's athleticism," Lynch said. "So, he's playing at an incredibly high level. Brock will tell you that that's his teammates playing at that level as well, but I just know we're very fortunate to have him leading our team."
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