At the beginning of the 2022 NFL season, it seemed unlikely Brock Purdy would play much of a role for the 49ers.
After all, the rookie quarterback was looking up at Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo on the depth chart after being selected with the last pick of the draft out of Iowa State.
Now, with Lance and Garoppolo gone to new teams, Purdy has the 49ers sitting atop the NFC West with a 10–3 record. On Sunday, Purdy posted a career-high 368 yards in a 28–16 win over the visiting Seahawks.
After the game, 49ers left tackle Trent Williams hyped up his quarterback to reporters, stating that Purdy deserves more recognition for what he’s been able to do for the team. His draft position shouldn’t matter at this point, Williams argued.
“I know obviously with him being the Mr. Irrelevant, everybody is slow to give him his flowers because then what's that say about a lot of scouting departments if you let a guy like this slip to Mr. Irrelevant pick,” Williams said, via NFL.com. “I think a lot of people are slow to give him his props just because of his draft status and where he was drafted. If he was Zach Wilson, I think he’d probably be unanimous MVP, the next coming of Aaron Rodgers or somebody like that.”
Wilson has struggled mightily since being selected as the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft by the Jets. Meantime, Purdy is averaging a gaudy 9.9 yards per attempt this season to go with a 116.9 passer rating. Both marks lead the league.
To wit, Purdy has emerged as a top candidate for the 2023 NFL MVP award. He currently boasts the second-shortest odds (+200) to win the award, behind only Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, according to SI Sportsbook.
