San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is one of the NFL’s most polarizing players, which is certainly strange given that he was the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Apparently, “Mr. Irrelevant” isn’t a very fitting nickname for Purdy.
Purdy has been largely criticized by fans, media pundits and current and former players, with many labeling him a game manager and/or saying he is merely a product of Kyle Shanahan’s system.
None of this seems to bother Purdy, who just finished fourth in MVP voting and led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance.
During a recent interview on The Pat McAfee Show, Purdy responded to his critics.
“It’s a thing obviously, and it’s part of the sport,” Purdy said. “I’m not saying ‘woe is me’ or anything like that. People are always going to have a talking point, and that’s fine. But for me, all I care about is the respect of the guys in the locker room and the coaches, the staff, the organization, and they see how I handle business here and how I perform in games, what’s on the film, rather than just feelings and opinions and emotions. Turn on the film. There’s plays being made, there’s a guy that’s playing quarterback for what it is. “
Purdy added that as long as San Francisco is having success as a team, nothing else is important.
“That’s how I look it. As long as we’re winning games dude, it really doesn’t matter,” he said. “I keep it simple and we just keep moving the ball forward, and that’s how I look at it.”
This past season, Purdy threw for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 69.4 percent of his passes and posting a league-high passer rating of 113.
The 24-year-old was thrust into the Niners’ starting quarterback role midway through his rookie campaign after injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Brock Purdy has been the 49ers’ main guy ever since, and it’s looking more and more like San Francisco has found its franchise quarterback, regardless of everyone else’s opinions.
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