When Brock Purdy had to step into the starting role for the San Francisco 49ers on December 4, the young quarterback looked like a veteran. Purdy was a rookie who had yet to make an NFL start.

The now-23-year-old passer went on to win his next seven starts before suffering a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow and losing in the NFC Championship Game. That's quite a run for a first-year player.


One person who probably wasn't surprised by Purdy's ability to pick up head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense quickly is Brandon Ally, a neuroscientist, and cofounder of Nashville-based S2 Cognition. Matt Barrows of The Athletic recently spoke with Ally, who revealed Purdy aced his pre-draft cognition test.

"Purdy landed in the mid-90s on something called the S2 Cognition test, a score you might consider Drew Brees-like," wrote Barrows. "Which is to say, it's elite. The S2 isn't an intelligence test like the 50-question Wonderlic exam but rather measures how quickly and accurately athletes process information. It's like the 40-yard dash for the brain."

Two other current top passers, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, also scored in the same range.

"We consider anything above the 80th percentile to be elite," Ally told Barrows.

San Francisco made Purdy (6-1, 220), a former Iowa State quarterback, the last overall draft pick in 2022. He completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions through nine regular-season game appearances (five starts) with the 49ers last season, per Pro Football Reference.


Purdy's success continued into the postseason, helping guide the 49ers to wins over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. He completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 569 yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 109.8.

The young quarterback faces a six-month recovery after he undergoes surgery next month to repair the ligament tear. He'll likely miss the entire offseason. Had Purdy been healthy, he likely would have been the frontrunner to start for the 49ers when they kick off their 2023 campaign. Purdy could still start, but third-year quarterback Trey Lance will receive most of the reps this offseason.

While his health remains a question, Purdy has proven that his football intelligence and awareness are first-rate.

"The game will never be too fast for Brock, I'll say that," Ally said. "I don't think he'll ever have trouble adjusting."

Click here to read Barrows' entire article over at The Athletic.

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