Ever since he was forced onto the field because of injuries, Brock Purdy established himself as the best option for the San Francisco 49ers.
But in all honesty, it’s not like the bar was set that high either, with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo as his competition.
So, as much as HC Kyle Shanahan has raved about Purdy and has made it clear that he’s ready to roll with him, NFL analyst John Middlekauff believes his stint as QB1 will be quite short-lived (via The Volume).
"He will go to the bullpen"
—@JohnMiddlekauff tells @ColinCowherd why there's pressure on Brock Purdy pic.twitter.com/BVc2iNIt4m
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) August 18, 2023
He claims that he doesn’t know whether he’ll be benched in Week 2, Week 4, or when, but argued that he wouldn’t have a long leash like other starting quarterbacks, mostly because he’s an outlier and not a guy making $50 million.
That’s definitely a possibility, especially considering how much praise they’ve given Sam Darnold, but unless Purdy is absolutely brutal out there, it would be shocking to see them pull the plug on him so early in the season.
Reports from Niners training camp state that Purdy has improved significantly in many aspects of the game throughout the offseason, and there were no setbacks in his recovery.
He wasn’t the most polished or impressive prospect by any means, and there was a reason why he was Mr. Irrelevant in the first place.
But he’s beaten the odds over and over, and he’ll have a huge chip on his shoulder to prove that he was more than a one-year wonder and that last season’s success wasn’t a fluke.
NEXT: Insider Says 49ers Already Have Their Starting QB
