Cam Newton is not a huge fan of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. He has made that abundantly clear, calling the MVP candidate a game manager.
Well, Newton doubled down on his criticism of Purdy ahead of the Super Bowl.
“I’ve never said that Brock Purdy is trash,” Newton said on his 4th and 1 Podcast. “What I did say is Brock Purdy is a game manager. That’s not hate. That’s just what I feel to be facts.”
Newton continued to say that in order for Purdy to be considered a “game changer” rather than a “game manager,” he needs to be the 49ers’ best player on offense.
So, does Newton think Purdy is San Francisco’s best offensive player?
Not even close.
Newton adamantly said that running back Christian McCaffrey is the Niners’ top gun on offense (and I’m not sure anyone would argue with that) and then went on to say that Purdy was only the 10th best player on the 49ers’ roster—including both offense and defense—overall.
The former Carolina Panthers quarterback—who won the MVP award back in 2015—is hardly alone in his assessment of Purdy. All season long, a large faction of fans and media pundits have labeled Purdy a game manager and have cited his struggles against top-flight defenses as evidence.
While Purdy has led the 49ers to the Super Bowl, he has only been so-so in his two playoff games this winter, throwing for 519 yards, a couple of touchdowns and an interception while completing 61.4 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 87.7.
During the regular season, the 24-year-old totaled 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 picks while completing 69.4 percent of his throws and registering a league-high passer rating of 113.
If Brock Purdy has a big game in the Super Bowl and leads the 49ers to a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the process, perhaps the narrative will start to change.
For now, however, Cam Newton is sticking to his guns.
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