Brock Purdy might be the most polarizing quarterback in the NFL.
Some people believe he's criminally underrated because he's small, he has a relatively weak arm and he plays in a good system with lots of dangerous playmakers around him.
Other people think Purdy is criminally overrated because he's just a product of the 49ers' system and weapons.
CBS Sports buys into the former narrative -- Purdy is underrated.
"The pendulum swings back and forth in NFL conversations, and it's swung more dramatically for Purdy than just about any player," writes CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin. "First he was the darling of the league, going from 'Mr. Irrelevant' to improbably poised point guard for Kyle Shanahan's title contender.
"Then he was just a pawn of Shanahan's San Francisco 49ers attack. Critics got even more fuel in 2024, when the fragility of the 49ers' lineup finally exacerbated his struggles when playing from behind. Maybe he's not the prototype that is Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson. But Purdy is still the best, most dynamic, most collected quarterback of the Shanahan era, far more capable of extending and creating plays than many suggest."
Benjamin makes good points, but I don't think anyone questions Purdy's ability to scramble and extend plays. That's arguably his best ability.
What people question about Purdy is his ability to win close games. He flopped at the end of the Super Bowl, and then he lost every close game except one last season. He's going to be in many more close games the next few years -- can he carry the 49ers to victory?
