San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is turning heads this season with his play on the football field. Even some of his harshest critics are starting to acknowledge that they may have been wrong about the fifth-year signal-caller.
Running back Christian McCaffrey has never doubted that Purdy belongs in the conversation among the NFL's elite quarterbacks. Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday's practice, McCaffrey was asked which game-day traits he admires most about Purdy.
"I think his ability to play within the scheme, and then know when to play football like you're a kid," McCaffrey said. "There's a good balance of doing your job and being extremely detailed on what's asked of you, but even coaches will admit, sometimes the play might not be there, and you've got to go make a play instead of just move on. And Brock's always looking for that, and seems to always find it."
Purdy also possesses underrated athleticism. He can use his legs to buy time for his pass-catchers to get open. If they can't, the quarterback is just dangerous enough as a runner to pick up the first down himself and keep a drive alive.
"He's always been able to do it," McCaffrey said of Purdy's scrambling ability. "I think what he does so well ... is he's very good about when to do that, and when not to do that, and when to hang in there and wait for somebody to get open. And I think that's what makes him elite.
"That's decision-making, whether to take off and run or whether to hang in there a little bit longer, trust the pocket, trust the scramble and look downfield to throw it. But again, I just think he's such a complete football player, and I think that's one of the biggest compliments you can give an NFL player."
Purdy is off to a hot start to the 2026 NFL season. He has completed 80.4% of his passes for 492 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception through two games. Against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, he completed nearly 91% of his passes and finished with a 149.1 passer rating.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about Purdy before Wednesday's practice and how much the quarterback has improved this season. He explained why that question is so difficult to answer.
"I get that question a lot, and it's so hard for me because Brock, as a rookie in those seven games he played, he played as good as any quarterback I've had," Shanahan said. "Those were his first seven, and then I think his second year he was top-five for MVP of the league and took us to the Super Bowl.
"So, Brock's played at such a high level since his first game versus Miami. So, to say how much better he's gotten, I mean, you can't get that much better. I think he's been extremely consistent, and I think he gets more comfortable just with everything he's faced."
Shanahan also weighed in on which of Purdy's traits he appreciates most. The coach highlighted his quarterback's consistency, accuracy, and ability to make plays from the pocket.
"The mental part of his game is just how consistent he is," Shanahan said. "He never makes an excuse. He always believes it's his fault. He's such an easy guy to coach. He'll never be sensitive. Even when I don't think it's his fault, he looks at it as his fault first, which makes him just fun to coach and always able to get better.
"Just physically on the field, I'd say there's lots of traits he has—but how accurate he is, how good he is at layering the balls over defenders, and how well he plays in the pocket."
Through two games, Purdy has continued to show the decision-making, accuracy, and poise that McCaffrey and Shanahan value most. If he maintains that level, the 49ers' quarterback will have plenty of opportunities to further silence his remaining doubters.
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