49ers’ Brock Purdy uses on-field play to dispel ‘system QB’ label

While Brock Purdy remains unfazed by critics, the San Francisco 49ers' second-year player has been combating the perception that he's merely a "system quarterback." In December, when asked if he sees himself as a "game manager," Purdy refrained from commenting, simply stating, "I'm playing quarterback, trying to win games, and we'll see at the end of all of it."

Some people continue to discredit Purdy's accomplishments, insisting that the sole reason behind the quarterback's success is head coach Kyle Shanahan's system and the plethora of playmakers around him.

Then you have plays like this that dispel the notion that Purdy can't play backyard football, making off-script plays.

"Everyone can have their opinion on that, but for myself, for my teammates, I guess we sort of know the truth because, literally, we're playing, and we're making plays and doing it really every Sunday," Purdy recently shared with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. "And so we know the truth, and it's not something that, for me, I look at it, and I get mad about or angry. People can think what they think, but if you're really watching the games and stuff, it shows up from time to time."

Purdy doesn't entirely view the "system quarterback" label as a negative. He takes it as a compliment, acknowledging that excelling in managing the game can lead to consistent wins.

"And then the other part of that is I sort of take it as a compliment in terms of being a game manager and a system quarterback," Purdy explained. "I feel like, if you can do that well and be consistent in that, you're going to win games by doing that. So I sort of take that as a compliment at times, too."

Purdy added, "I think it comes down to, if you're in the NFL playing quarterback, there's little room for error. And so if you're getting criticized for making the right decisions and not making a lot of flashy plays but winning, I feel like you really have to start looking at your judgment on football and stuff."

In his sophomore NFL season, Purdy distinguished himself from the other great 49ers quarterbacks who came before him. The 24-year-old set a franchise record for the most passing yards in a single season, throwing for 4,280 yards while tossing 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions and completing nearly 70 percent of his passes.

If pundits want to label him a "system quarterback" or "game manager," so be it. If that is the case, Purdy believes he is in some fine company.

"You look at the greats—Tom Brady and [Peyton] Manning—there's so many games where they've played, where they've just made consistent plays and decisions," Purdy shared. "And it may not be flashy, but at the end of the day, they protect the ball, they allow their defense to play, and they win games. So it's a team sport for a reason, and that's part of our position."

San Francisco made Purdy the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The young quarterback started last season buried on the depth chart but was thrust into action following injuries to two other signal-callers. Purdy has been the 49ers starter since, helping guide the team to the playoffs in each of his two seasons. He understands the significance of his situation.

"For one, it's an honor to be able to play for this organization and the greats that have come before and have set the standard here," Purdy said. "And to be able to sort of set some records, too, it's crazy. And the next thing would probably be, just coming off of a surgery and everything that sort of happened last year, to the unknown of, Are you going to be back? Are you going to play?

"And so for me to be able to sort of take a step back and have that kind of perspective of, Dude, you got to be grateful for everything, to stay healthy, to play football, and have a great team around you, and family, friends. It's all been a big blessing. So I'm trying to have the perspective of always being grateful for the little things, and when you come across those kind of milestones, it's really cool.

"But at the same time, we have some greater goals at hand and obviously trying to go all the way, so that's where our mind is at now."

Next up for Purdy and the 49ers is a Divisional Playoff clash at Levi's Stadium against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday. A win would mark the 49ers' third consecutive trip to the NFC Championship Game and their fourth appearance in five seasons.