National Football League

Can 49ers QB Brock Purdy shed game-manager label with Super Bowl win?

Published Feb. 6, 2024 3:18 p.m. ET

Brock Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback with the aw-shucks smile and boy next door looks, can't shake the perception that he was born on third base.

With elite weapons like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk, along with one of the best playcallers in the game in San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan, even all-time quarterback busts like Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell would be Pro Bowlers, right?

Wrong, according to Purdy teammate and fan Kittle. San Francisco's big-play tight end said Purdy developed a foundation for making big plays in big games during his 48 starts at Iowa State. And even though he joined San Francisco as the last player picked in the 2022 draft, "Mr. Irrelevant" eventually rose to the starting job as a rookie and has been a high-level executor of the 49ers offense ever since.

"He's won big games, he's lost games," Kittle said of Purdy's college experience. "He's played bad. He's played well. He's come back and battled through adversity. That's a great foundation. Now, you have to go to the NFL and do it again.

"He shows up every day and he's consistent. He does all the same things and plays at a high level. He's his harshest critic. He's everything you want in a football player, and he loves the game. You see him celebrate and you feel his energy. He's fantastic."

Purdy finished top five in the league during the regular season in passing yards (4,280 – a 49ers single-season record), passing touchdowns (31) and passer rating (113.0). He earned a Pro Bowl invitation and was in the conversation for league MVP.

During the playoffs, he has shown his resiliency by leading San Francisco to come-back victories over the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions to advance to the Super Bowl. While Purdy struggled early in those games, he was at his best when the game mattered most.

In the second half this postseason, Purdy is 26-of-39 (66.7%) for 301 yards, with a touchdown and no interceptions for a 98.3 passer rating. He has also rushed for 61 yards and dialed up five passing plays for 20-plus yards. Most importantly, the 49ers have outscored their opponents 44-22 in the second half in the past two games.

Purdy's efficient play down the stretch in the playoffs is just the latest example of how he's played overall since taking over as the team's starter midway through the 2022 season. He is 21-5 as a starter, including 4-1 in the postseason. On Sunday, the 24-year-old Purdy will have a chance to become the second-youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, behind only Ben Roethlisberger.

Purdy would also match the most playoff wins by any quarterback in his first two seasons in the Super Bowl era — yes, more playoff wins than Tom Brady (4), Peyton Manning (0) and Patrick Mahomes (1) had in their first two NFL seasons.

Dave Helman and Ralph Vacciano analyze Brock Purdy's composure

Purdy's career 111.2 passer rating (including playoffs) is the highest by any quarterback though 26 starts in the Super Bowl era.

Even Mahomes gave Purdy his flowers this week.

"I've seen Brock play since college, I knew how good he was," Mahomes said at Super Bowl Opening Night. "I watched him play. I watch the Big 12 a lot so I watched him play a ton. He was a winner and he made plays happen all through his college career. Usually when you can make it happen in college, no matter what your surroundings are, and turn around a program like he did at Iowa State, you're going to make it happen when you get your opportunity in the NFL.

"So I wasn't very surprised he's had the success that he's had. He's a winner and he's a guy that goes out there and competes. And I've always said, more than a football player, you've got to be someone who competes, and he's always been one of those guys."

Now that the 49ers are in the big game, can Purdy once and for all show his critics that he's not just a game manager along for the ride with one of the most talented offenses in the league? Yes, Purdy is the only quarterback this season supported by All-Pro teammates at every offensive skill position. And he's also backed by a top-five defense.

49ers QB Brock Purdy downplays game-manager label

So even if the 49ers win it all, will Purdy get the credit he deserves?

"It's part of the game," he said Monday when asked about his doubters. "I focus on what I have to do every single week for every game. More than anything, I just want the respect and love from my teammates. As long as I have that, then I'm OK. Playing quarterback in the NFL, people are going to say good things and bad things. That comes with it. If you let that get to you, then obviously that's not good. But for me, I keep a one-play-at-a-time mentality throughout the week, and throughout my life.

"I just want to play for my boys."

And for his coach, who's definitely in the QB's corner.

"All he's done since he's been thrown in the spotlight is ball," Shanahan said. "Just watch the film: He tears it up. And he's got to deal with so much stuff, which is cool with Brock because he doesn't listen to it. He comes out the next week and does the same thing."

Now comes the ultimate test: Can Purdy do it on Super Bowl Sunday?

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.