While the cliché might say that defense wins championships, having a star quarterback is essential to success in the modern NFL. Or at least that's what we thought.
The likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts may grab most of the headlines, but it's Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers sitting tied atop the NFL heap with the Philadelphia Eagles at 5-0. Purdy, besides lacking name recognition, was the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft and earns pocket change when compared to many other quarterbacks and some of his teammates.
But if you're still skeptical of the quarterback's credentials, allow former 49ers star tackle Joe Staley to make his case.
Staley Hails Purdy's 'High-Level Performance'
If you asked the average football fan to name every starting quarterback in the NFL, Purdy would probably sit near the bottom of the list, if he was mentioned at all. Beyond his low profile, he also suffers from a problem of perception. There's a sense, rightly or wrongly, that anyone can run the show in the 49ers offense. With the famous Shanahan zone-blocking scheme and the likes of tight end George Kittle and wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel making plays, many feel the man under center really isn't doing that much.
According to Staley, who spent more than 10 years on San Francisco's offensive line and earned a place on the 2010s NFL All-Decade Team, that's not the case.
"You can see where it could be a talking point, but it's not nothing more than a talking point because I think they're really minimizing what the quarterback has to do in Kyle Shanahan's offense, and having been a part of it, it's a very complex system," Staley told Newsweek ahead of a 49ers watch party in London, England. "There's a lot of moving parts. And you have to take complete ownership of that, even have an understanding of where to go with the ball. I know people are saying all these players are wide open. Well, the reason why they're wide open is because the quarterback has a full understanding of what to do to just set up that play.
"[Head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] has complete trust in what he's calling and going through the right progressions. And that's just mentally, I think, if you actually look at physically what he's doing, [Purdy is] always doing from a solid base. He never gets flushed with a rush or anything. He's incredibly poised under pressure. So, I think you're minimizing what it actually does mean to be a quarterback when people say some stuff like that."
Staley wasn't done there. He also drew in some other NFL signal-callers to further underscore the point that Purdy is doing something special, even if it's not attention-grabbing.
"Everybody likes to look at Josh Allen and he can throw the ball 70 yards downfield and in Patrick Mahomes who creates on the run and has all these dynamic throws. But playing a quarterback position is a lot more, not taking anything away from what those guys have done. Obviously, they're very talented, very skilled quarterbacks," Staley added. "But Brock is a tremendous quarterback for the 49ers and might not be as sexy, but it definitely is high-level performance."
The stats back up that take. Through the first five games of the 2023 campaign, Purdy is 5-0 with 98 completions in 136 attempts (72.1 completion percentage) for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns. He's also yet to throw an interception.
Tom Brady Also Had High Praise for Purdy
Maybe you're feeling cynical and want to argue that Staley simply won't be too critical of a 49ers player. Tom Brady, however, doesn't have a professional connection to the NFC West squad (despite being a childhood fan of the team).
On the Let's Go podcast, Brady shared a similar sentiment to Staley. San Francisco is a quality team, but that doesn't mean Purdy is simply sitting back in a metaphorical beach chair.
"[The 49ers are] doing a great job, and I played him last year, and they've got a great team," Brady said, according to NBC Sports. "I played on a lot of great teams over the years, too, and what did we do? We controlled the line of scrimmage, we ran the ball well, we stopped the run, they rushed the passer. They've been playing with leads, and I give coach Shanahan a lot of credit, too, because he's done a great job."
But what about the quarterback? The Patriots/Buccaneers great had some praise for Purdy, whose rise from obscurity has drawn comparisons to TB12.
"You don't hear of guys like Brock Purdy until Brock Purdy's doing amazing things out on the field, so it's kind of a fun story and I hope it continues for him because he seems like he's a really humble young man, and he wants to go out there and do great things," Brady said. "I think the more you have that chip on your shoulder like he does, and there were not quite the expectations, it's nice to go out there and continue to prove people wrong."
Is it possible that Purdy comes back to earth as opposing defenses figure out what he's doing? Could things get tougher next year if the 49ers are a bit less stacked offensively?
Sure, but former NFL stars like Staley and Brady know a thing or two about what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Joe Kozlowski is a native New Yorker who joined Newsweek in 2023 as the Sports Team Lead.
Joe previously worked Read more
