NBC Sports Bay Area recently highlighted the emergence of Pro Bowl quarterback Brock Purdy, who, in just his second NFL season, has already propelled the San Francisco 49ers to their eighth Super Bowl appearance. Drawing comparisons to the esteemed 49ers legends Joe Montana and Steve Young, Purdy’s performance has been nothing short of stellar. In terms of statistical prowess, Purdy’s early career numbers bear striking resemblance to those of Montana and Young during their tenure in San Francisco. Purdy’s ability to deliver clutch performances and put up impressive numbers has solidified his status as a rising star in the NFL, earning him recognition alongside the iconic quarterbacks who have donned the 49ers jersey before him. With each game, Purdy continues to cement his place in the franchise’s storied history, leaving fans and analysts alike in awe of his talent and potential.
In his analysis for “Football Morning in America,” NBC Sports’ Peter King delved into Brock Purdy’s statistical comparison with Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young during their initial 26 starts with the San Francisco 49ers. King’s examination favored the Iowa State product, highlighting Purdy’s superior performance in terms of wins, accuracy, passing yards, yards per attempt, touchdown-to-interception ratio, and passer rating. Purdy’s impressive record stood at 21 wins and 5 losses in his first 26 starts, with a completion rate of 68.0%, 6,466 passing yards, 9.22 yards per attempt, 47 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and a passer rating of 111.3.
During the 1980 NFL season, Joe Montana secured the starting quarterback position and amassed a record of 18 wins and 8 losses. He accumulated 5,608 passing yards, threw 35 touchdowns, and was intercepted 22 times, achieving an 88.1 passer rating. Montana completed 64.0% of his pass attempts, averaging 7.09 yards per attempt.
In contrast, Steve Young didn’t fully assume the starting role for the San Francisco 49ers until his seventh NFL season in 1991. Despite this, Young boasted an impressive record of 19 wins and 7 losses in his initial 26 starts. He completed 65.9% of his pass attempts for 5,961 yards, with 42 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, resulting in a stellar passer rating of 105.1. Young also averaged 8.81 yards per attempt.
While Brock Purdy’s statistics may not directly surpass those of Montana and Young, Peter King noted some nuances and contexts that could impact the comparison between the quarterbacks.
“But let’s also consider the era and the supporting casts,” King acknowledged. “Passing games weren’t as efficient then. The league-wide regular-season completion percentage in 1981 was 54.6 percent, and 57.5 percent in 1991; this season, it was 64.5 percent. In 1980, [Cleveland Browns’] Brian Sipe led the NFL with a passer rating of 91.4. That would have been 18th in the league this season. Plus, quarterbacks didn’t have the protective cloaks by rule around them the way they do now.
“(Regarding) the talent around them, Purdy has the best. Montana’s cast: Earl Cooper/Ricky Patton (RB); Dwight Clark, Freddie Solomon (WR); Charle Young (TE) … Young’s cast: Dexter Carter/Ricky Watters (RB), Jerry Rice, John Taylor (WR), Brent Jones (TE) … Purdy’s cast: Christian McCaffrey (RB), Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk (WR), George Kittle (TE).”
Brock Purdy’s potential to cement his legacy as a San Francisco 49ers great hinges on clinching a victory in Super Bowl LVIII, which would elevate him to the esteemed status held by Steve Young and Joe Montana. Despite being selected as the 262nd and final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the 24-year-old quarterback has already outperformed both legends statistically at this juncture in his career.
Peter King emphasized that while some analyses may argue in favor of Montana or Young as superior quarterbacks at this stage, Purdy’s exceptional performance cannot be overlooked. He consistently meets the demands of his role with remarkable proficiency, demonstrating a level of play that bodes well for his future and potential to etch his name in 49ers history alongside the franchise’s iconic signal-callers.
“What I draw from the comparison: Purdy’s number should be considerably better in this era, better even than all-timers like Montana and Young, King wrote. “And they are better, markedly. Enough to have his team in two conference title games and one Super Bowl in his first two years. But the numbers don’t mean you should intentionally deflate Purdy because you think there’s no way he belongs in the same league with Montana and Young.
“Purdy is existing in his era, in his time, with a coach who produces terrific plans, with an excellent supporting cast, and he’s doing what’s asked of him, and doing it superbly. In the end, that’s what counts, in any era.”
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