Is Brock Purdy a top-10 QB?
He just signed a five year, $265 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers last week, making him the highest paid 49er in franchise history. ... but that doesn't make him a better player ...
Just a richer one.
Purdy's contract extension talks have been a hot topic this offseason, with projections ranging from $50-60 million annually. Now that the deal is done and the dust is settled, Purdy and the 49ers can focus on the road ahead.
Or ... we can keep talking about the money. ... which is part of the way this works.
Purdy appeared on Murph and Markus on KNBR last week, asking Purdy if he believes he is a top-10 quarterback in the NFL.
Purdy initially answered with a two-word response of, "Yes sir." ... before expanding just a bit.
"Yeah, for sure, I think I'm a top-10 quarterback," Purdy continued. "I'll leave it at that. I'm not going to create a list or anything right now."
The "top-10'' thing is subjective and maybe even arbitrary; what's the difference between 10 and 11? What about the zillions of factors that go into a QB's success as it relates to the team? In the end, how is Jalen Hurts anything short of No. 1 given the fact he just won the Super Bowl MVP for the Philadelphia Eagles?
PFF would like a word.
The NFL analytics site has released its rankings for all 32 QBs, with Purdy landing at No. 11. He's in PFF’s “Tier 3a: Solid starters who have flashed high-end play.”
Their comments:
“Purdy may be a product of the system and surrounding talent, but he’s still led one of the NFL’s most efficient offenses over the past three seasons. His play dipped slightly in 2024 as the 49ers battled injuries across the offensive line and receiving corps, yet he still posted the league’s top success rate over the past two years, alongside a seventh-best 90.0 PFF grade.”
All that seems fair. And when you scan their 10-to-1 list? Lots of arguments, sure.
But not much "unfair'' about it.
That list: Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith, Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff, Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow and Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
Again, we can debate about, say, Purdy vs. Geno. And in the AFC, Allen vs. Jackson vs. Burrow vs. Mahomes is a barroom brawl.
But Purdy with a $265 million contract and a "yes-sir'' confidence level and a top-11 ranking? It'll have to do.