San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is the talk of the NFL heading into Week 6, as the 23-year-old has been superb in the 49ers’ 5-0 start this season.
While some are questioning the legitimacy of Purdy’s statistics, citing the possibility that he could merely be a product of Kyle Shanahan’s system, others have been much more impressed with his ascension.
On Fox Sports’ Undisputed this week, analyst Skip Bayless likened Purdy’s rise to stardom to Tom Brady’s climb with the New England Patriots back in the early 2000s. Bayless even went as far to say that Purdy’s escalation may even be superior to Brady’s.
Brady and Purdy do share some similarities. Both quarterbacks were taken very late in their respective drafts, with Brady being selected in the sixth round by the Patriots in 2000 and Purdy being chosen by the Niners with the final pick in 2022.
Also, they were both pressed into starting duty due to injuries. Brady burst onto the scene following an injury to Drew Bledsoe in 2001, and Purdy was forced into action after both Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance went down last season.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Tom Brady, New England Patriots, Brock Purdy & San Francisco 49ers Updates
Additionally, the two signal-callers experienced great early playoff success, although Brady was obviously superior to Purdy in that category. Brady won the Super Bowl after stepping in for Bledsoe, while Purdy led San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game last season.
Of course, no one is suggesting that Purdy is on Brady’s level or that he will ever come close to achieving the feats that Brady did throughout his illustrious 23-year NFL career. But one cannot deny the eerily analogous tracks the two quarterbacks shared in the early stages of their corresponding journeys.
NFL NEWS & RUMORS: Tom Brady, New England Patriots, Brock Purdy & San Francisco 49ers Updates
Dating back to last year, Purdy has won all 10 of his regular-season starts. Through the first five games of 2023, the Iowa State product has thrown for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions while completing 72.1 percent of his passes and posting a league-best passer rating of 123.1.
Most recently, Purdy went 17-for-24 with 252 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys last weekend. Purdy will look to continue his success when the 49ers head on the road to battle the Cleveland Browns this Sunday.
