It is time to recognize Brock Purdy as an elite quarterback.
After throwing an interception in the second quarter of the Week 1 game against the Rams, Purdy has done an excellent job protecting the ball and playing efficiently.
Since that moment, the former "Mr. Irrelevant" has thrown for 1,007 yards and 11 touchdowns while outperforming several elite quarterbacks through the first four weeks of the season, including Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Matthew Stafford.
When it was time to put games away, the 49ers trusted him with the ball, and Brock delivered.
Since taking over as the 49ers' starting quarterback in 2022, Purdy has led the team to three playoff berths, two NFC Championship Game appearances, and a Super Bowl appearance, where he was one missed block away from potentially winning the game.
The 49ers drafted quarterback Trey Lance third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft as their quarterback of the future.
San Francisco committed to Lance as its starting quarterback entering the 2022 season, but after he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, Jimmy Garoppolo took over as the starter.
The 49ers went 7-3 with Garoppolo as the starter until he sustained a broken foot in a Week 13 game against the Miami Dolphins.
Purdy took over at quarterback, and the 49ers went undefeated to reach the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, Purdy injured his shoulder on the 49ers' first drive, and their storybook season ended in a 31-7 loss to the Eagles.
The next season, Purdy looked better than ever, leading the 49ers to a 12-5 record and earning consideration for NFL MVP.
Over the next two seasons, Purdy continued to show clear growth, but injuries hindered the 49ers and slowed his ascent into the elite quarterback ranks.
At the start of this season, NFL.com ranked Purdy 15th in its quarterback rankings, behind players such as Drake Maye, Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, and Justin Herbert.
Former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury said the league's MVP resides in San Francisco.
"The stigma that continues to follow this dude around because he's not 6'4 and is a seventh or sixth (seventh) round, the last pick of the draft or whatever Mr. Irrelevant is," Salisbury said on the Coach JB Show. "He just keeps getting better and I don't know why we deny it."
Salisbury explained that if Purdy were a first-round pick, the league would view him differently.
"With the way he's playing now, because he is playing like a franchise quarterback," The former quarterback said. "He doesn't have a big, powerful arm and all that. Yeah, they're waiting for the other shoe to fall. Bottom line is Brock Purdy is playing his (expletive) off and if he was a first-round pick, we'd be letting him tea bag us because he was a first-round pick."
Sam Acho, an NFL Network analyst on Sunday GameDay, said Brock Purdy worked on his footwork and "escapability" during the offseason. However, the fifth-year quarterback has been electric ever since taking over the reins as the 49ers' starter.
Purdy may not be the fastest quarterback, but he has made just as many improvised plays as Jackson, Allen, Mahomes, and Jalen Hurts.
One game in which Purdy showed off his "wheels" was the 2023 NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions.
Trailing 24-3 entering the third quarter, the then-second-year quarterback put the 49ers on his back, making key plays down the stretch with both his arm and his legs. Purdy showed he can be a true "game-changing quarterback," much like Jackson, Allen, Hurts, and Mahomes.
The 49ers came back to win the game 34-31 and earn a trip to the Super Bowl.
On this past episode of "Night Cap," Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson said he loves the way Brock has been playing.
"Brock Purdy, man, his story is phenomenal from where he started getting drafted," The Night Cap Co-host said. "Being Mr. Irrelevant, working his way up, getting the starting job to where he is now, man. But that's one hell of a story. Watching Brock and those 49ers' team flourish the way they are is really, really dope. Really dope."
In 49 career starts, Purdy has thrown for more than 12,692 yards and 95 touchdowns while compiling a 34-15 record, including a 5-3 mark in the postseason.
On September 30, NFL.com released its Week 4 Quarterback Index, and Purdy jumped to No. 1.
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