On Christmas night, quarterback Brock Purdy lost the NFL MVP award with the worst game of his young NFL career. But now he stands alone atop the San Francisco 49ers’ list of single-season passing leaders.
Purdy, who tossed four interceptions against the Baltimore Ravens, broke the 49ers’ single-season record for passing yards in their 27-10 victory over the Washington Commanders. He threw for 220 yards to finish with 4,280 and surpass Jeff Garcia’s previous mark of 4,278 set in 2000.
The player picked last in the 2022 NFL Draft has now thrown for more yards in a season than Garcia and two Hall of Famers in Young and Joe Montana.
It was a nice rebound game for Purdy, who also threw two TD passes as the 49ers clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC shortly thereafter when the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Arizona Cardinals.
Brock Purdy completed 22 of 28 passes and had no interceptions to go along with no sacks. He’s taken a lot of criticism since the Christmas game in which Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson — and current MVP favorite — clearly outplayed him in a 33-19 rout.
Yet regardless of the poor outing, the 49ers have stood behind their young quarterback, who’s still the No. 1 rated passer in the NFL. Deebo Samuel showed his support with a custom-made vest, which he wore to the stadium Sunday.
Related: NFL MVP odds: Lamar Jackson is up, while Brock Purdy is down
Brock Purdy could lead the 49ers to bigger things
No two plays in Sunday’s game showcased Purdy’s skills more than a pair of passes he threw to leading receiver Brandon Aiyuk in the fourth quarter.
With the 49ers ahead 20-10, Purdy threw a picture-perfect pass to Aiyuk up the sidelines for a 38-yard gain.
To cap the same 10-play, 95-yard scoring drive, Purdy scrambled out of trouble and rolled to his right before stopping and firing a strike to Aiyuk in the end zone for a 17-yard score and a 27-10 lead.
Brock Purdy might not win the NFL MVP award now, although he’ll certainly get some votes. But he has the 49ers atop the NFC with homefield advantage throughout the playoffs, and he continues to prove that he’s capable of carrying his team to an even bigger prize.