The Athletic's Mike Sando has released his Quarterback Tiers rankings for 2026, and San Francisco 49ers fans may be interested to learn where Brock Purdy landed.

No matter how much success Purdy enjoys, there always seems to be debate about where the 49ers quarterback belongs among the NFL's best. Critics argue that he benefits significantly from head coach Kyle Shanahan's offensive system and the talented playmakers surrounding him. At the same time, supporters believe his decision-making, processing, and athleticism are consistently underrated.


To compile this year's rankings, Sando surveyed 50 NFL coaches and executives. Purdy landed in Tier 2, tied with Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams for the No. 11 overall spot.

One head coach believes Purdy still doesn't receive the recognition he deserves.

"I think he is better than given credit for," the coach told Sando. "Kyle is great, but I think Brock Purdy, he can see it so fast, and he makes quick decisions, and he's more athletic than you think. Really good player."

Purdy climbed three spots from last year's rankings, moving from No. 14 in 2025 to No. 11 this year. Of the 50 voters, only one placed him in Tier 1, while 34 voted him into Tier 2 and 15 slotted him into Tier 3.

Purdy debuted in Sando's rankings as a Tier 4 quarterback in 2023 but has remained in Tier 2 ever since.


"Purdy is so impressive to watch in terms of how he creates," an offensive coordinator said. "The scramble game is awesome. He's really hard to sack. He's in a great system with great players around him. It's just a good fit."

As Sando notes, it's difficult to find evaluators who discuss Purdy without mentioning Shanahan's system. That theme is evident throughout the comments featured in this year's survey.

One defensive coach argued that Purdy belongs near the bottom of Tier 2 because he benefits from an ideal offensive environment.

"It is the system and everything around it that is going to help him," the coach said. "In that system, Jimmy Garoppolo took them to the Super Bowl, but when he went anywhere else, you struggled to say he was a 3."

Another defensive coach, however, praised Purdy's instincts and toughness while acknowledging some limitations.


"If he can't flip his hips, he can't make throws, because all his power is in his lower body," he said. "But the dude is special. He sees things before they happen. And like (George) Kittle said, he runs like a water dragon. Stronger than you think. Faster than you think. Better than you think. Talks more s--- than you think. Solid 2."

The Tier 2 quarterbacks ranked ahead of Purdy are Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, Drake Maye, Jared Goff, and Jordan Love.

As the 49ers enter the 2026 season with Super Bowl expectations once again, Purdy will have another opportunity to prove he deserves to be ranked higher in the future.

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