The San Francisco 49ers looked like the best team in the NFL entering Week 6. Heading into NFL games today, the 49ers have lost three consecutive games with quarterback Brock Purdy turning the ball over regularly.
Early in the year, Purdy had the statistics to put himself in the MVP race. Across his first five games, the second-year quarterback boasted a stellar 123.1 QB rating with 1,281 passing yards, a 72 percent completion rate and 11 total touchdowns.
- Brock Purdy stats 2023: 105.4 QB rating, 9.1 yards per attempt, 2,033 passing yards, 68.3% completion rate, 12-5 TD-INT, 14 sacks taken
At that point, Purdy looked like he might challenge for an All-Pro selection and he was backed by one of the best NFL defenses in 2023. Unfortunately for San Francisco, everything has unraveled in the last three games.
While Purdy did lead a potential game-winning drive in the closing seconds against the Cleveland Browns, many of those yards came after the catch thanks to Brandon Aiyuk. Furthermore, he finished that game with a 55.3 QB rating, took three sacks and left a lot of plays on the field in a 19-17 loss.
One week later, a potential comeback attempt against the Minnesota Vikings was wiped out by two interceptions. On a national stage, Purdy had an 81.5 QB rating with a sack taken. After another two-interception performance in Week 8, head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the possibility of a quarterback change after the bye week.
- Brock Purdy contract: $870,000 salary in 2023, $985,000 salary in 2024, $1.1 million salary in 2025, 2026 NFL free agent
Asked by reporters about whether or not San Francisco would consider benching Purdy in favor of backup quarterback Sam Darnold, Shanahan made it clear that wasn’t even under consideration.
“No…Because no one just changes their quarterback for no reason.”
San Francisco 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan on the possibility of benching quarterback Brock Purdy after Week 9 bye
Purdy has thrown all five of his interceptions in the last three games, but he’s still been a fairly effective quarterback. In Weeks 7-8, he posted an 87.9 QB rating, still completing 70.5 percent of his 61 passes and averaging 10.44 yards per attempt.
While the last three weeks have dismissed any notion of Purdy being an MVP-caliber quarterback, he can still be a highly effective starter in this system. When the 49ers return from their Week 9 bye, it’s possible one or both of Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel return from injuries.
Ultimately, the biggest problem in the Bay Area right now is the 49ers’ defense. If that isn’t addressed at the NFL trade deadline, then it’s a sign San Francisco is extremely confident in its current roster and that includes Purdy.
For as much as Darnold was talked up this offseason as a quarterback Shanahan is high on, the 49ers will not go away from a quarterback who boasts a 10-3 record with a 106.2 QB rating, 3,407 passing yards and a 25-9 TD-INT line in his career.
