There is a darn good chance that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will be preparing for the Super Bowl when the annual NFL Honors Award Show is held the weekend of the big game.
San Francisco sits at 10-3 on the season, has won five consecutive games and looks to be a true juggernaut. It has Purdy as one of the odds-on favorites to earn the NFL MVP in just the former seventh-round pick’s sophomore season.
“When I get asked the question and stuff, it comes to mind, and the first thing is what an honor,” Purdy said. “I’m not taking anything away from that. It’s what an honor, and very honored to hear that. But at the same time, I’m trying to do what I can for this team, for this Sunday, and for this practice or this meeting. I’m not getting caught up in awards and stuff like that,” Purdy said Tuesday on Tuesday, via 49ers Web Zone.
“If anything, I look at it more as a team award. I have a great surrounding cast. I’ve got guys around me that are all making plays, a great defense, great special teams. And so that’s a testament to the team that I have.”
Purdy entered Week 14 with +225 odds to come away with the hardware. He was joined by Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott (+300) as one of the favorites. Prescott has since overtaken Purdy by a slim margin after leading Dallas to a win over the Philadelphia Eagles this past week.
Related: Brock Purdy stats put him in elite company
Brock Purdy will find himself in a tight NFL MVP race
Prescott is putting pressure on the young quarterback as we enter the final four weeks of the regular season. Dallas’ star signal caller has led the Cowboys to five consecutive wins. Since losing to San Francisco back in Week 5, Prescott has thrown 23 touchdowns against two interceptions in eight starts. This span has also seen him post a 118.5 QB rating.
As for Purdy, the youngster continues to play at an elite level. He’s tossed 13 touchdowns with two interceptions during the 49ers’ five game winning streak. He’s joined some elite company by posting 12 games with a triple-digit QB rating in his first 18 starts. It’s a list that includes Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Kurt Warner. In reality, Purdy has been the NFL’s best quarterback for a majority of the season.
- Brock Purdy stats: 70.2% completion, 3,553 passing yards, 27 total TD, 7 INT, 116.9 QB rating
In addition to leading the NFL in completion percentage and QB rating, Purdy heads all quarterbacks in touchdown percentage (7%), yards per attempt (9.9) and yards per completion (14.1).
Purdy and his 49ers are currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC. It’s an obvious goal to hold that position and avoid having to play in the wild card round.
“It’s no secret.” Purdy said. “If you get the first seed, you obviously get, that first round of [the] playoffs, you have that game off. And so for us, it’s like, yeah, I think anybody, any team in the NFL, can look at it and be like, man, you only have to win two games to get to the big game.”
If Purdy continues to play at this level, it bodes well for both his NFL MVP candidacy and the 49ers’ hopes of earning another Super Bowl trip.