With four weeks left in the season, the San Francisco 49ers lead the pack of playoff candidates after their explosive 10-3 start.
Brock Purdy, the quarterback, has been a major factor in their success; in recent weeks, he has established himself as a contender for MVP among players like Dak Prescott and Lamar Jackson.
But according to a former MVP, Purdy shouldn’t be given as much credit as he receives for his 49ers contributions.
Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton described Purdy as a “game manager” when breaking down this season’s MVP contenders, claiming that he isn’t the cause of his team’s success.
Purdy’s success isn’t down to him, according to Newton, as reported by TheSFNiners. He is in charge of the game. In terms of game managers, that would be Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa. Jared Cook. And Dak Prescott, really. These are supervisors of games. They don’t make a difference.
“A game manager is not the same as a game-changer, if we are to truly call a spade a spade.”
How did Purdy feel about the entire situation?
Earlier this week, Purdy stated, “I don’t want to comment on that.” “As I mentioned, I’m a quarterback trying to win games. In the end, we’ll see.”
Although Purdy’s play style differs from that of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, the other two quarterbacks mentioned by Newton, the former seventh-round choice has led his club in wins this season and has been near the top of several important statistical categories.
Newton’s inclusion of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the game-manager dialogue is noteworthy, given that the 2016 fourth-round selection just overtook Purdy as the clear favorite to win this season.
Despite using a different system and different playmakers than Purdy, Prescott has nonetheless accomplished a great deal this season. Considering how things have gone this year, he would rank in my top two choices for MVP if the season ended today.
Purdy’s outstanding core of weapons has eclipsed his accomplishments throughout his career, leading many to refer to the quarterback as the “game manager.”
Whatever the case, Purdy has experienced great success in 2023 and will want to build on his MVP-caliber record this coming weekend when the Arizona Cardinals are the next team to play in Week 15.
