ESPN analysts debate whether 49ers QB Brock Purdy is the NFL’s best

Brock Purdy's critics might be having a tougher time diminishing the San Francisco 49ers quarterback's success this season. Purdy is playing at a high level, with some even wondering whether he belongs in the NFL MVP conversation.

Of course, we're only three weeks into the NFL season, and a lot of football remains. But so far, Purdy has turned in a remarkable performance, completing 72.3 percent of his passes for 789 yards, nine touchdowns, and one interception while earning an NFL-leading and career-high 133.1 passer rating.

Is Purdy the best quarterback in the NFL right now, though?

Analysts Dan Orlovsky and Marcus Spears recently debated that question on ESPN's First Take, with Orlovsky arguing that Purdy is playing at the highest level in the league.

"Yeah, because there's no quarterback right now that is a greater problem solver," Orlovsky explained. "The way I'm talking about Brock Purdy is, neck up—we hear that all the time—neck up, there's no one playing faster. Neck down, no one playing calmer. I think that's a rare combination. Now, if you want to tell me Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, I'm totally on board with that. But the gist, the way they're playing, Brock Purdy's got to be in that conversation right now with the way they're operating in this offense.

"And I think it's like one of these offenses right now, you're sitting there going, 'I don't know how to defend it.' Not only is he doing that in the structure and the rhythm of the play, this dude's making plays outside of structure, when it's not the ideal situation. The ball's coming out.

"He hasn't been sacked this year. For everybody, sacks can be a quarterback stat. Part of it is because he's just operating so quickly. So, as good as there are quarterbacks—put Trevor Lawrence in there as well—Brock Purdy right there."

Spears has a different analysis. While he acknowledges that Purdy has played at a high level through three games, his choice for the quarterback playing best right now is Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.

"Brock Purdy is playing really, really well, but playing the best right now is Josh," Spears said. "Look, I think there needs to be context when we ask these types of questions because it's relative to how much you have to do for your football team. And right now, Josh has the requisite weapons to do a lot, and we're seeing that manifest and take form.

"The plays that Josh has made [against] Houston, and went crazy against the defense, and kind of put questions out there about if the Texans were going to be the same. We're watching games against the Chargers when they have to make plays late, he makes those plays late.

"And these are not things that Josh hasn't been doing in his career. I think the efficiency in which he's playing with, the way that he's operating this offense when the plays need to be made, he's making them in those critical moments."

Spears added that the conversation about the NFL's best quarterback will be worth revisiting in a few weeks, when there is a much larger sample size to evaluate. He also said analysts shouldn't dismiss Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes from entering the discussion.

"But right now, if you were asking me who's playing the best, Brock Purdy, by the numbers, the way he's operating, and Dan is absolutely right with his efficiency and the things that he's doing," Spears continued. "But if I'm just giving the eye test and I'm looking at the QBs that's playing right now, I would tell you Josh Allen is playing the best out of all of them."

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