Over a year since he took over the San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback job for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, Brock Purdy has now won an NFC West title, racked up wins and looks poised to continue San Francisco's dominance into this year's playoffs. During that dominance, the raging question both in San Francisco and around the NFL has been exactly how good Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, actually is.
Naturally, those in San Francisco have vouched for Purdy's abilities. And legendary 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice went so far as to compare Purdy's temperament directly to his own quarterback -- the incomparable Joe Montana -- during an appearance on 49ers linebacker Fred Warner's podcast.
It’s official: Purdy = Montana 😤
— The Warner House (@TheWarnerHouse_) December 19, 2023
The Jerry Rice episode is LIVE: https://t.co/TA7KY3boWI pic.twitter.com/MvEAx0V5YS
"Brock reminds me a lot of Montana, his coolness. He doesn't get rattled," Rice said before also citing his composure, the velocity behind his throws, and his decision-making. "You need your quarterback to be that way."
As of right now, Purdy's resume as an NFL quarterback is nowhere near that of Montana's, who became one of pro football's greatest field generals ever. That being said, there are certain areas where Purdy and Montana's early careers resemble one another. Long before Purdy was the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Montana was a third-round pick in the 1979 Draft tasked with running head coach Bill Walsh's revolutionary West Coast Offense -- which would feature Rice among many other talented receivers.
With an ultra-talented offense featuring skill players like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, Purdy is currently leading the NFL in passing touchdowns (29), yards per attempt (9.9), passer rating (119.0) and QBR (76.0). The 49ers boast an 11-3 record -- tied for best in the league with the Baltimore Ravens -- and are in a position to secure the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
