Brock Purdy
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Brock Purdy is not the biggest QB, but he makes plays when he needs to, says former linebacker Patrick Willis.
When Patrick Willis watches Brock Purdy play quarterback, he is reminded by another San Francisco 49ers great.
The Niners linebacker legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer compared Purdy to former Niners QB Jeff Garcia during a recent interview.
Garcia had the unenviable task of following Steve Young as the Niners starting quarterback yet did so admirably, earning three straight Pro Bowl honors between 2000-02 and guiding the Niners to the playoffs in 2001 and 2002.
Purdy, of course, has already quarterbacked the 49ers to the Super Bowl and came one defensive stop from their first championship since the 1994 season.
What Did Patrick Willis Say About Brock Purdy?
Willis was a five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, who won the 2007 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He retired in 2015 but is keeping a close eye on the 49ers, since he played his entire 112-game NFL career in the Bay Area.
So when asked, Garcia was the player who came to mind when asked about who Willis would compare Purdy to.
“He wasn’t very big, but he had heart,” Willis told RG.org of Garcia. “That’s what I see in Brock Purdy. I see someone that is not the biggest, not the fastest, but he gets the job done and gets it done at a high level.
Garcia and Purdy are the same height (6-1), and unlike Purdy — who famously was pick No. 262 of the 2022 NFL Draft — Garcia was not drafted at all. Yet, Garcia still carved out an effective career as both a runner and thrower, who completed 61.6 percent of his passes and had a 161-83 TD-to-INT ratio in his 11-year NFL career.
Purdy is not the runner that Garcia is, but he is a great passer and can move if he needs to.
“He’s going to run it if he needs to run it, or he’s going to make the play,” Willis said. “He’s going to make it happen when it needs to happen. I’m a Brock Purdy fan.”
What Did Patrick Willis Say About Brock Purdy’s New Contract?
Purdy, of course, is coming off a down season where he had 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 65.9 percent of his passes — down from the 4,280-yard, 31-TD, 11-INT season when he guided the Niners to the Super Bowl in 2023.
Yet, Willis feels last year was an aberration and that even though he is battling an injured receiving corps, the departure of Deebo Samuel and another potential injury to running back Christian McCaffrey, Purdy will be back in 2025.
“I think he’s still capable of being the quarterback he’s been,” says Willis of Purdy.
Purdy, of course, signed a five-year, $265 million contract with the Niners — though fans could be forgiven if they forgot it was only signed in May. Willis weighed in and explained why he was happy for Purdy to cash in on his new deal.
“I’m excited for Brock,” Willis said. “I’m excited that he was able to get his money and get the money that he felt he deserved and is paid like a top-tier quarterback — because he is.
“I feel like this year, I don’t see why he would not continue to play good football again.”