“I think for sure I’m a top 10 quarterback.” With this fresh hike in confidence, things are looking rather good for Brock Purdy. As former Mr. Irrelevant takes the steering for the 49ers again, expectations are as big as his $265 million contract. But with that high ceiling comes a lot of scrutiny behind his every move. And as analysts break down his career so far, an interesting “pattern” has emerged that might bring a frown to Kyle Shanahan’s smiling face. So, what’s happening with Purdy’s numbers?

As far as the stats go, Brock Purdy has put some amazing numbers out there. While last season was not a career-defining moment, the last two seasons put together drive it home. 2023 was the highlight, with 4,280 passing yards and 31 beautiful touchdowns. He came close last year, with 3,864 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. This close consistency is certainly something that justified his massive contract this year. But beyond these numbers, there is a big cause for concern when it comes to Purdy’s plays. 

NFL Insider Jason Mclntyre shared a worrisome analysis looking at the history of Brock Purdy’s career. Mclntyre has always been big on the 49ers and especially Brock Purdy. But when faced with crisp numbers, even he had to admit there were some gaps that needed to be filled. As Mclntyre put it, “Brock Purdy, when tied or trailing in the second half, not good.” While Purdy has written more comeback stories than a certain terminator’s ‘I’ll be back’, by and large, the numbers go against him. As per the numbers put forward by Mclntyre, in his career, Purdy has majorly struggled to produce results when his team is trailing behind the scores. Across his career, in these situations, Purdy only has 9 wins against 15 losses. The same exact number goes for his TD-INT ratio as well. And if you talk about passer rating, that falls down to 79.7.

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Jason Mclntyre’s final verdict on Brock Purdy? “Brock Purdy is great on the script. And when that wears off, it don’t look good.” While this is a major concern for HC Kyle Shanahan going into the new season, it’s not all Brock Purdy’s fault. As Jason Mclntyre sees it, a lot of the blame lies with the HC himself. Mclntyre remembered a time when Shanahan was the OC for the Falcons, and “gagged away a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl against the Patriots.” But it’s not just this one instance. “Kyle Shanahan, fast forward to when he had Jimmy Garoppolo in the Super Bowl against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. – They led 20-10 in the fourth quarter, and they ended up losing and not covering. – So there is a pattern of Shanahan struggling late,” said Mclntyre.

Whether the fault lies in Shanahan’s offense or with Brock Purdy himself, one thing is clear. There is a clear history of the two struggling in clutch moments. As the Niners prep for the new season, this will be something they will have to address. However, whether their training bears fruit or not will only become visible once they face other teams this season. In that regard, there have already been some changes in the character that is Brock Purdy. And the team is all for it, too.

Brock Purdy 2.0 in the making for the 49ers

While the recent stats revelations may cause fans to fret, people around the league have a firm belief in the combination that is Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy. The QB himself has always had a late start, but he has always turned that into fuel for going forward. As he had recently said, and as analysts have also said, “Brock Purdy with Kyle Shanahan is a top-five quarterback.” And Purdy has a firm belief in his head coach as he has recently confirmed, “He’s got my back, and I got his. He’s in it with me for the long haul, and we want to do it together. We want to win together.” But this faith and confidence don’t come alone. Brock Purdy is making some major changes. And it’s already bearing fruit.

Brock Purdy’s energy is rubbing off on his teammates in a big way. Niners TE George Kittle was the first to note, “One thing I’ve already seen from Brock this offseason, just being back around for all of [the offseason program] and stuff, is just his voice is heard significantly more in the building, which I love – whether he’s breaking down the team, talking in the locker room. He’s always kind, he’s always nice to everybody, but he’s just more vocal to everybody in team settings, which is huge.” Brock Purdy has always had a chip on his shoulder with a lot to prove. From the late round draft pick to his steady rise, and finally his massive contract. He’s flipping the script on his own narrative, and the changes are very welcome in the Niners locker room.

With Brock Purdy taking a larger leadership role within the 49ers building, the prospects for another career high seem almost too plausible. Even analysts are hinting at Purdy as the new MVP for this season. The odds for that, however, are stacked against him with 28-1, but hey, when have great odds ever stopped the former Mr. Irrelevant? Once the new season begins, we will get to see exactly how much has changed for Brock Purdy and the 49ers.