Mr. Irrelevant to MVP: Brock Purdy Tops League in QBR for 49ers
Brock Purdy has the best QBR (quarterback rating) in football and the best team. That is the MVP case, and it is not a small one.
Through eight games, Purdy has a QBR of 81.4, a passer rating of 109.8, and a record of seven wins and one loss. The San Francisco 49ers are the top team in the NFC. The numbers are not close.
This is not a story about a charming underdog who got lucky. It is a story about a quarterback who was the last player taken in his draft and is now, four years later, the co-favorite to win the most valuable player award in football. His QBR surge puts him past the league and proves why he is a phenomenon.
What Stats Say
Purdy is 163 of 236 passing, good for a 69.1 completion percent, with 1,980 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also run for 201 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries. That is roughly 25 yards per game on the ground, which puts him on pace for more than 400 rushing yards.
The QBR figure is the one that matters most. It measures how much a quarterback adds to his team, and Purdy’s 81.4 ranks at the top of the league. The 49ers have scored 235 points and allowed 156, a plus-79 point differential that leads the conference. That is a team that has outscored its opponents by nearly 80 points.
49ers Weren’t Supposed to Be Here
The team has not been healthy, and that is the point the second NFL executive made when he named Purdy an MVP candidate.
“It’s a narrative-driven award and they look like the best team in the NFC, he’s playing efficiently and they haven’t been healthy so he is helping lift them up,” the executive said.
An NFC executive put it more simply. “He’s playing a position at a high level… He’s putting it all together.”
The argument is that Purdy is not just winning on a good team. He is winning on a team that has been asked to absorb injuries, and he is doing it efficiently rather than spectacularly. That is what the award rewards.
From Mr. Irrelevant to a $265 Million Contract
Four years ago, Purdy was the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 draft, the last player selected and the one who earned the nickname Mr. Irrelevant. He told his family he did not think he would get drafted. Then the phone rang.
The 49ers signed him to a five-year, $265 million contract extension, making him the fifth-highest-paid quarterback in the league. He went from the last pick to a franchise quarterback in four years.
Coach Kyle Shanahan has called him “automatic,” the highest compliment he gives, according to a Yahoo Sports report. The arc from Mr. Irrelevant to franchise quarterback was laid out in why Purdy deserves to reset the quarterback market.
Other Candidates Have Their Cases
Joe Burrow is in the middle of his best season and leads the league with 23 passing touchdowns, C.J. Stroud has taken a leap in Houston and is positioned for a big contract and Jordan Love is keeping the Green Bay Packers in contention despite a weak offensive line.
Each of them has a case. None of them has Purdy’s team. The numbers back him up and support his belief that he is a top-10 quarterback.
The MVP award goes to the best player on the best team, and this year that is Purdy. His QBR leads the league and his record is the best in the NFC. Purdy did not get here by being the story. He got here by being the best player on the best team.
The Last Word
Purdy leads the NFL in QBR and plays for the NFC’s best team. That gives him a strong MVP case, since the award often goes to the best player on the best team. In four years, he went from the last draft pick to signing a $265 million contract. The other candidates are having strong seasons, but none plays for a team with a 7-1 record.
Main Image: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
