BREAKING: Has 49ers QB Brock Purdy Established Himself as Elite?

Just last week, Purdy led the 49ers offense to a mere 16 points against the Arizona Cardinals who had given up 42 points to the Commanders the week before.

Oct 10, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Brock Purdy is a great story, but is he really a great quarterback?

He was great on Thursday night during the 49ers’ 36-24 win over the Seahawks. But the Seahawks defense isn’t good. Plus it was missing three starters — Riq Woolen, Byron Murphy and Uchenna Nwosu. Plus it was torn to shreds recently by Jared Goff and Daniel Jones. So we should have expected Purdy to play well in Seattle. He never has lost to that team.

But does beating the Seahawks mean that Purdy is elite?

Just last week, Purdy led the 49ers offense to a mere 16 points against the Arizona Cardinals who had given up 42 points to the Commanders the week before. The Cardinals defense is awful, and yet it intercepted Purdy twice and beat him.

I think it’s still too early to call Purdy an elite quarterback. We haven’t seen him play enough football yet. There are still too many things about him that need answers.

For example, check out these stats. In three seasons, Purdy is 17-4 against NFC teams with a quarterback rating of 121.2. And he’s 21-5 if you include the playoffs. That’s incredible.

But against the AFC, Purdy is 6-4 with a quarterback rating of 86.3. And he’s 6-5 if you include the Super Bowl. That’s troubling.

It seems like certain teams have Purdy’s number and very few of them play in the NFC. Minnesota might be the only one.

It’s admirable what Purdy has done without Christian McCaffrey on the field this season. But I want to see him beat a team that’s better than the Seahawks before I call him elite.