Brock Purdy has led the San Francisco 49ers to establish a 4-0 start while putting his name into the MVP conversation. Yet, though his performances back his case, questions are raised as to whether he really belongs in the same category as the league’s most celebrated quarterbacks. And a two-time Super Bowl champion has stepped into the debate.

Speaking on SpeakEasy, Sean McCoy criticized the polarizing way in which the quarterbacks are evaluated.

“This is the thing nowadays; it can’t just be like he’s really, really good. It’s either gotta be great and elite or you’re terrible. There’s nothing in the middle. I think Brock Purdy today, it’s not the first time Brock Purdy has played MVP-caliber football. I think Brock is a phenomenal quarterback. He’s really, really good. He’s damn good…” said LeSean McCoy on SpeakEasy.

“I have a lot of respect for Brock Purdy, and if he wins an MVP, I’ll have even more respect for him, but for me, being around this game and watching it, and playing in it, there’s no way I’m ever gonna put Brock Purdy in the same boat as Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. It’s just never gonna happen. But you can’t say he’s not playing as good as them, guys.”

That distinction is relevant as Purdy continues to build his case in San Francisco. The 49ers opened the season with a 27-7 Thursday night win over the Los Angeles Rams. Sports Illustrated described him as playing “like an MVP-caliber quarterback.”

Through the 49ers’ first three games, he recorded 789 passing yards, nine TDs, and one INT. He helped defeat the Denver Broncos 24-14, completing 19 of 30 passes for 218 yards and two TDs to extend San Francisco’s record to 4-0.

Purdy’s consistency has also made his MVP credentials strong. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for September, which was the first award he received in his career. His talent to produce while keeping turnovers under control has helped the team to maintain their early-season momentum.

The Niners’ next challenge can provide Purdy with another measuring stick. San Francisco is preparing to face the Seattle Seahawks, their divisional rival, who beat them twice last season: 13-3 in the regular-season finale and 41-6 in the NFC Divisional Round.

Seattle’s defense presents a difficult matchup, which makes the game an opportunity for the quarterback to show that his current form can hold up against a formidable opponent.

Purdy admitted the way last season ended and said he went back to the film in the offseason. He described Seattle’s defense as a “bend but don’t break” unit where you “earn every yard.”

Purdy has thrown three TDs, five INTs, and taken eight sacks in the last four games against Seattle. San Francisco will also be out of fullback Kyle Juszczyk, which could make the offense easier to read. And Seattle could tilt the ongoing debate in either direction.

McCoy’s comments highlight the difference between recognizing elite performances and declaring a QB an established QB of the NFL’s top tier. If Purdy continues to produce at the same level and wins an MVP award, the conversation could change.

For now, McCoy believes the 49ers quarterback deserves his flowers without necessarily being placed alongside Mahomes, Allen, and Jackson.

And that is the point- in a league where QBs are judged in extremes, Purdy may be proving that being exceptionally good is worth celebrating even before the debate over greatness is settled.