Despite Brock Purdy's remarkable numbers and generally stellar play in his first full season as the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback, for some it is still impossible to separate his impact on the field from Kyle Shanahan's guiding hand.
One of the most popular critiques of Purdy is that his success is primarily a product of Shanahan pulling the strings as the play-caller for the offense he has built, which was the best in the NFL by a wide margin in 2023.
Purdy performed to a level where he was an MVP frontrunner for much of last season despite not having the benefit of a full offseason prior to his first complete campaign as San Francisco's starting signal-caller.
Now he is enjoying an offseason in which he is healthy and, according to All-Pro tight end George Kittle, Purdy is making strides that could inadvertently help end the tiresome narrative surrounding him.
Kittle told NBC Sports Bay Area's Jennifer Lee Chan (h/t 49ers Webzone) during Tight End University: "He looks like the guy, which is really nice. He's in the building every day.
"He's the same guy every single day. He's consistent. He's incredibly competitive. It's fun seeing him yell at guys when they don't hit the route depth, if they have the wrong landmark. He's taking control of the offense and making it his.
"It's Kyle, and Kyle's calling the players, but Brock's getting guys to do what he wants them to do, which is really fun to see."
The extremely advantageous situations in which Shanahan puts his quarterback and his receivers make it difficult for any signal-caller to get too much credit in his system, which creates such a high baseline of play at the position.
But what has separated Purdy from predecessor Jimmy Garoppolo is his playmaking ability and willingness to throw downfield with more regularity and success.
Kittle's comments reflect those of both Purdy and Shanahan, who have already indicated that he is ahead of where he was this time last year due to having the extra time to watch film and take what he learned onto the practice field.
The off-schedule plays and the downfield ambition should have served as differentiators between Purdy and previous Shanahan quarterbacks, but arguably what has most set him apart since being thrust into the starting lineup in 2022 is his ability to process quickly, with Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo hailing his efforts in this regard after the 49ers' defeat in Super Bowl 58.
With Purdy primed to fully take command of one of the most complicated offenses in the league, the intriguing power of processing he boasts looks set to only grow stronger in 2024.
It would be a subtle improvement unlikely to immediately change the minds of those who struggle to credit Purdy for the remarkable exploits of the 49er offense. However, if it leads to another season akin to his history-making 2023, praise for the continued devastating efficiency of the league's best attack might be easier to assign to the quarterback this time next year.
