Much of the San Francisco 49ers' success during the 2026 season will depend on the health and play of Brock Purdy. The quarterback was limited to nine games last season because of a turf toe injury but still threw for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, leading the team to a playoff berth.
Purdy is 147 pass attempts away from having his career passer rating of 104.0 qualify for the NFL's all-time leaderboard, where it would rank first, ahead of Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson.
Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently identified one reason for optimism for each NFL team, selecting Purdy as the 49ers' reason for optimism.
"Brock Purdy has been in the NFL for four seasons and has earned a PFF passing grade above 75.0 in each of them," McGuinness wrote. "While he is not quite in the league's elite tier at quarterback, we've already seen that his level of play is good enough to lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl."
Purdy was ranked No. 10 in PFF's annual quarterback rankings this year despite his injury-shortened 2025 season. Even so, he remained highly effective when on the field. His 85.4 offensive grade, including the regular season and playoffs, ranked sixth among NFL quarterbacks, while his 65.8 passing grade under pressure ranked third.
The 49ers also added to Purdy's offensive arsenal this offseason, signing veteran wide receivers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk and drafting De'Zhaun Stribling, who has flashed throughout training camp and the preseason.
They join an offense that already features star running back Christian McCaffrey and All-Pro tight end George Kittle.
"Surrounded by this roster and operating in Kyle Shanahan's offense, Purdy gives San Francisco everything it needs to remain a legitimate contender," McGuinness wrote. "Ideally, he'll rediscover the playmaking he showed in 2023, when his 5.5% big-time throw rate set a career high."
For the 49ers, Purdy's health and ability to continue playing at a high level could be among the biggest factors in determining how far the team goes in 2026.
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