Brock Purdy Jumps Into NFL MVP Picture After 49ers’ Perfect Start
Brock Purdy entered the season as a long shot. Three games later, the 49ers QB has pushed his way into the NFL MVP conversation.
Three weeks ago, Brock Purdy was barely part of the NFL MVP conversation. Now, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback had put himself right in the mix after leading his team to a perfect 3-0 start. Nine touchdown passes, one interception and a 133.1 passer rating had quickly changed the way people were looking at his season. His odds had moved with him, putting him second behind Josh Allen after he entered the season as a much longer shot.
Brock Purdy's start puts him in the MVP conversation
Purdy's MVP case had built up one game at a time. After each week, another name fell behind him, with Patrick Mahomes becoming the latest after Week 3. He had completed 72.3% of his passes and accounted for 10 touchdowns, including one rushing score.
The Cardinals game gave that case another lift. Purdy threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns in the win, taking his passer rating to 133.1 through three games. That number led the NFL, while his passing EPA ranked second among quarterbacks this century, behind only Tom Brady's mark from 2007, according to Niners Wire.
His odds told the same story. One market had Purdy at +450 behind Allen at +270, while another placed him at +425 behind Allen at +260. Before the season started, Purdy's odds implied less than a 5% chance of winning the award.
Brock Purdy faced tougher tests ahead
San Francisco had not given Purdy a fully healthy group to work with, either. Several receivers had missed time with injuries, and Trent Williams' status for Week 4 remained uncertain.
Even with those absences, Purdy had shown a willingness to push the ball downfield. Niners Nation noted that 30% of his throws had gone to the intermediate area, while he had made several big plays against pressure.
The schedule was about to get tougher. Denver was next before a trip to Seattle, where the Seahawks had given Purdy trouble twice late last season. Matt Barrows of The Athletic pointed to that stretch as an important test for Purdy's MVP case. For now, the 49ers quarterback had given voters plenty to watch. Three games had taken him from the edge of the conversation to one of the names sitting near the top of it.