By admin 
Brock Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback, has taken his game and production to an even higher level so far this season. He had already been an excellent quarterback for the previous few years, but many dismissed his fine play as being completely a byproduct of the talent around him and the brilliant offensive mind of head coach Kyle Shanahan.
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However, coming into Week 6, Purdy was leading everyone with 13 touchdown passes and an 85.7 QBR, and he was a hair below Lamar Jackson for the NFL’s best passer rating. He has driven the 49ers to a 5-0 record despite their usual problems with the injury bug, and what he has done despite a very depleted wide receiver room has raised lots of eyebrows.
Shanahan has had the best view in the house for Purdy’s journey thus far, and while he isn’t one to hype his players up publicly, he did drop a one-word description of Purdy that is about as complimentary as it gets.
Purdy has become a machine
While speaking to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, Shanahan
49ers Webzone
“He’s so automatic at running the offense, knowing where to get the ball to, running the scheme at an elite level,” Shanahan said. “And he’s so good at, when the scheme isn’t there, something’s off, of knowing when to make plays.”
When Maiocco asked Shanahan if “automatic” is the highest compliment he could give Purdy, Shanahan simply replied, “Yeah, definitely.”
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When he was coming out of Iowa State University, Purdy got some recognition from scouts and coaches for his football IQ, but he was dismissed as too small and too weak-armed to make it in the pros, let alone become a star. The Niners made him the “Mr. Irrelevant” of the 2022 NFL Draft as the final player chosen, and he began the season as their third-string QB behind starter Trey Lance and backup Jimmy Garoppolo.
After Lance suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 and Garoppolo followed suit in Week 13, Purdy stepped in. Internally, the organization believed he had unique qualities from the start, but seeing him take over under center in Week 13 that year was an instant revelation.
Maybe Purdy hasn’t quite reached the level of a Patrick Mahomes in terms of making off-script plays and passes. But he has made the most of a makeshift wide receiver lineup over the last couple of years, and as a result, the Niners are looking like legitimate Super Bowl contenders for the first time since the winter of 2023-24, the last time they got to the Super Bowl.
If the injury bug starts to stand down, perhaps this will be the year the 49ers finally make good on their “Quest for Six.”
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More on the San Francisco 49ers
- Why One 49ers Defensive Prospect Turned Down an Offer From the Steelers Last Year
- Zachariah Branch’s Two Turnovers Cost Falcons Big in Loss to Bears
- Drew Brees Says Brock Purdy’s College Career Set Him up for NFL Success
- Robert Griffin III Names NFL ‘MVP Right Now’ Without Hesitation
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This story was originally published October 18, 2026 at 8:39 PM.