Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated released his preseason quarterback rankings and placed Purdy at No. 16. Sixteenth. As in, middle-of-the-pack territory. And frankly, that feels way too low.
I've said before that Purdy belongs in the top-10 quarterback conversation, so slotting him in as what essentially amounts to a tier-three signal-caller is tough to understand. To be fair, the very top of Verderame's list is hard to argue with. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow make up the top five, and that group is about as expected as it gets.
The issue starts after that. From No. 6 through No. 15, Verderame has Drake Maye, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Caleb Williams, Jared Goff, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, and — drumroll, please — Baker Mayfield all ahead of Purdy.
Now, there is a reasonable case to have Maye, Herbert, Goff, and Hurts in the same conversation. Williams and Daniels are also trending in the right direction, or at least have the upside to pass Purdy in time. But Mayfield, Lawrence, Love, and Prescott ahead of him? That is where things start to get wild.
Why the 49ers should still believe Brock Purdy belongs in the NFL's top quarterback conversation
To be clear, I understand that the 2026-27 season is a massive one for Purdy. He is coming off a difficult year, one that saw him sidelined by injury for half the season. Purdy started just nine games for the 49ers, throwing for 2,167 yards and 20 touchdowns, but he also threw 10 interceptions over that span.
If he wants to quiet the doubters and reinforce the idea that he is a top-ten NFL quarterback, he needs to get back to the version of himself we saw in 2023.
That season, Purdy threw for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. More importantly, he was not just productive — he was efficient at an elite level. Purdy led the league in multiple categories, including passing success rate at 54.7%, yards gained per attempt at 9.6, adjusted yards per attempt at 9.9, yards gained per completion at 13.9, passer rating at 113.0, net yards per attempt at 8.7, and adjusted net yards per attempt at 9.0. That is not the profile of a quarterback who should be casually pushed into the middle of the league.
That is why I still have plenty of confidence that Purdy can return to the level of production and success he showed in 2023.
The 49ers revamped their receiving room this offseason, adding Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and rookie De'Zhaun Stribling to a group that already features Ricky Pearsall. Add in George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey as receiving threats at tight end and running back, and the supporting cast should give Purdy every opportunity to bounce back in a major way.
With Kyle Shanahan orchestrating the offense, the setup is there for Purdy to remind everyone exactly who he is. And if everything comes together, is it really that bold to suggest he could find himself in the thick of the MVP race next season? I would not be surprised at all.
Written By:
Bob served as a site editor for two FanSided sites from 2018 to 2025. He has also been a contributor to 49ers Webzone, part of USA Today Sports, since 2022. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Bob has written and edited numerous articles across both networks. In addition to sports writing, he has taken on creative writing opportunities in the past, crafting slogans and articles for clothing companies and analyzing odds for various sports betting outlets. When he isn't writing, Bob manages his family farm, established in 1928, and is the president and owner of Bob Heyrman Farms LTD. During his downtime, he enjoys dining in beautiful downtown Detroit and attending various sporting events.
All articles by Bob Heyrman
Bob Heyrman
Bob served as a site editor for two FanSided sites from 2018 to 2025. He has also been a contributor to 49ers Webzone, part of USA Today Sports, since 2022. A lifelong sports enthusiast, Bob has written and edited numerous articles across both networks. In addition to sports writing, he has taken on creative writing opportunities in the past, crafting slogans and articles for clothing companies and analyzing odds for various sports betting outlets. When he isn't writing, Bob manages his family farm, established in 1928, and is the president and owner of Bob Heyrman Farms LTD. During his downtime, he enjoys dining in beautiful downtown Detroit and attending various sporting events.
All articles by Bob Heyrman
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