Are the cracks starting to show with Brock Purdy?

One of the best stories in the NFL recently has been the rise of Brock Purdy. Generally, when players go last in the draft, you don’t hear from them again unless they’re trying to sell you insurance, hence the Mr. Irrelevant label. But, since filling in for the triage of quarterbacks in front of him in San Francisco, Purdy has not only shown that he belongs in the league, but that he’s a top QB.

In 2022, the 49ers went a perfect 5-0 in Purdy’s starts. He threw for 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns and only four interceptions, helping to lead the team to the second-best record in the NFC. In his first two playoff games, he racked up 546 passing yards, three touchdowns and zero picks. A torn UCL in the NFC Championship Game, however, seemingly ended this Cinderella story.

But, after fully recovering in the offseason, Purdy proved that his first season wasn’t a fluke. Through his first five games, he passed for 1,271 yards, threw nine touchdowns and had zero interceptions. The highlight of the early season was a 42-10 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys, in which Purdy lit up the ‘Boys for 252 yards and four TDs. With an assortment of excellent players at the skill positions and a stout defense, it seemed inevitable that Purdy and crew would be headed deep into the playoffs again.

But then the 49ers visited Cleveland. Just a week after Purdy’s triumph against the Cowboys, he had his worst game as a starter, completing just 12 of 27 passes for a measly 125 yards. He was also outplayed (albeit slightly) by his counterpart on the Browns, P.J. Walker, who could be described as Mr. More Irrelevant, as he was never drafted.

A visit to the Minnesota Vikings the following week seemed to be the perfect salve for Purdy, as they hadn’t won at home all year. And while he finished 21 of 30 for 272 yards and a touchdown, it was his two fourth-quarter interceptions that doomed the 49ers to another loss.

It was inevitable that Purdy’s regular-season winning streak would come to an end at one point or another. With the 49ers dealing with several injuries, perhaps it’s not surprising that they’ve dropped a couple of games. However, elite quarterbacks rise to the challenge when undermanned, and Purdy hasn’t done that. In addition to throwing three picks in the last two games, compared to none in the previous five, his completion percentage has dropped 14 percent.

While these two games may not yet be ringing alarm bells at 49ers headquarters, a look at the upcoming schedule might be causing some sleepless nights. Their next two games are against the resurgent Bengals and the first-place Jaguars. If Purdy continues to struggle, the pressure will really start to mount, and it won’t just be a loud-mouth former player calling him out.