Why Simms was ‘encouraged’ by Purdy despite unstable 2024 season

Quarterback Brock Purdy is not coming off the kind of statistical season that led to him finishing fourth in NFL MVP voting in 2023.Purdy's passer rating dropped from an NFL-best 113.0 to 96.1 last season, ranking him 12th in the NFL. But NBC Sports analyst Chris Simms, who played five NFL seasons, was impressed with certain elements of Purdy's game."I was encouraged by a lot of stuff I saw from Brock Purdy last year," Simms said on the latest "49ers Talk," which was released Monday. "I feel like he did more off-schedule, more 'wow' plays, more 'wow' throws, making some more happen when it wasn't there to be had than he had the two years previous to that."That's where I saw a growth in his game."Simms is in the midst of divulging his league-wide quarterback rankings. After placing Purdy at No. 17 before the 2024 season, Simms now includes him in his top 15 for this year.Purdy incorporated more scrambling into his game last season, rushing for 323 yards and five touchdowns with 33 first downs on 66 rushing attempts.Simms acknowledges that Purdy showed a new side as he held the ball longer and might have tried to overcome some of the 49ers' offensive deficiencies a year ago.That...