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ESPN insider on Brock Purdy’s 2026 outlook & Brandon Aiyuk’s future

Brock Purdy narrowly missed cracking ESPN’s annual top-10 quarterback rankings, but according to ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback remains firmly in the conversation among NFL evaluators.

Appearing on Sactown Sports’The Drive Guys, Fowler explained that Purdy was one of the closest players to making ESPN’s annual executive, coach and scout rankings after interviewing league decision-makers.

“It was close,” Fowler said. “Spots 10 through 13 were really close, and then Brock was 14, but he was also very close.”

Fowler noted that Purdy appeared on roughly 30 percent of the ballots, but ultimately lacked enough high-end votes to break into the top 10.

“Part of the issue is he didn’t have a lot of top-five votes,” Fowler explained. “He had a lot of votes in that eight-to-10 range, but it just wasn’t quite enough to get over the hump.”

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Levi's Stadium on November 24, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images)

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 24: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium on November 24, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images)

More on Brock Purdy & the 49ers

Despite falling just short, Fowler praised several aspects of Brock Purdy’s game that continue to earn respect across the league.

“He does certain things better than just about anybody,” Fowler said. “Layering the football, throwing with anticipation—he’s just excellent, and of course he’s very smart.”

Fowler also addressed one of the most common criticisms surrounding Purdy: how much of his success is tied to 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system.

While acknowledging Shanahan creates favorable situations for quarterbacks, Fowler believes Purdy deserves far more credit than many give him.

“Kyle’s going to put his quarterbacks in good positions. He’s going to scheme up some easy completions,” Fowler said. “But it’s up to the quarterback to read the field and make the plays. Brock Purdy certainly does that at a high level.”

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass in the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 29: Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers catches a pass in the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Is the Brandon Aiyuk saga nearing an end?

The conversation also shifted to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, whose ongoing situation with San Francisco remains unresolved. Fowler admitted the standoff has become increasingly difficult to understand from the outside.

“I just don’t understand why he doesn’t just show up,” Fowler said. “That’s kind of the void in the story that we don’t know right now.”

According to Fowler, the 49ers have little incentive to move on immediately because Aiyuk remains on the physically unable to perform list, meaning the organization is not under pressure to make a roster decision.

While the franchise continues to navigate Aiyuk’s future, Fowler believes Purdy has already established himself as one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks, even if league-wide voters aren’t quite ready to unanimously place him among the top 10.

Listen to The Drive Guys from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.