ESPN's Jeremy Fowler continued his annual NFL position rankings this week, unveiling his list of the league's top quarterbacks. The rankings are based on feedback from NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, reflecting the league's top players entering the 2026 season rather than their career accomplishments.
Purdy did not crack the top 10.
The 49ers quarterback did, however, receive votes and landed among the honorable mentions alongside others like Sam Darnold and Jalen Hurts.
"He has got two superpowers," one NFC executive told Fowler. "Layering the ball and short-area quickness to stay alive. He's elite in those two areas."
Purdy has yet to earn a spot in ESPN's annual top-10 quarterback rankings.
ESPN's top 10 NFL quarterbacks for 2026:
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
- Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
- Drake Maye, New England Patriots
- Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
- Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Purdy enters his fifth NFL season after a turf toe limited him to just nine games in 2025. He finished the year with 2,167 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Despite limited action, Purdy helped lead the 49ers to a playoff berth last season, even as the team lost several key contributors to injuries.
The 49ers rewarded Purdy with a five-year, $265 million contract extension last offseason, making him one of the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks. Despite that investment, league evaluators still appear divided on where he belongs among the game's elite passers.
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