There isn't a more unusual or more fluctuating expectation spectrum than that of Brock Purdy, who has seen to the San Francisco 49ers flying out of the blocks through two weeks of the NFL season. He entered the league devoid of pressure or projections as Mr Irrelevant. Not long after he was tasked with leading perennial Super Bowl contention for the 49ers.
Football onlookers have since been fiercely divided on where he stands among the NFL's premier quarterbacks. Was it the Kyle Shanahan system and the star-studded cast? It is allowed to be both.
It comes with the asterisk of premature two-week conclusions territory, but Purdy is playing as well as any quarterback in football right now. He enters week three with the highest completion percentage in the league at 80.4 having completed 45 of 56 passes for 492 yards and five touchdowns at 8.8 yards per attempt. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "We're starting to witness Brock's prime, and I think it's going to be a sight to behold," said 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams.
"I've always loved Brock, but I think he's starting to get his respect now. He doesn't even relish in it. It's all about next week, going 1-0, and that's why he's a great leader." Purdy doesn't earn acclaim for being one of the league's most athletic or dynamic out-of-structure two-way killers, but instead thrives on high-level processing, field diagnosis, anticipation and accuracy.
It should also be said he is a far better scrambler than he gets credit for. The best of what Purdy represents came in Sunday's 35-13 win over the Miami Dolphins on a precision-perfect strike to Mike Evans, the 49ers quarterback moving one defender with a pump-fake before sliding left and threading a stunning off-platform bullet to his new wide receiver. Evans had run what began as a crossing route before momentarily adjusting into a corner break, Purdy picking him out with expert touch and timing to execute on a flood concept.
Twice Purdy has threatened one of the great underdog stories in NFL history. He famously guided the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie after being selected with the 262nd and final pick of the Draft, only to suffer an elbow injury in the first quarter as Josh Johnson replaced him in a 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He went one better the next season by taking San Francisco to Super Bowl LVIII, where they were beaten in overtime by the Kansas City Chiefs.
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