49ers’ George Kittle Turns Brock Purdy ‘Game Manager’ Label Around with Clever Comment

The San Francisco 49ers tight end offered up the perfect response to critics of his quarterback.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has emerged as a leading candidate to win the NFL MVP award, as he has posted some gaudy numbers while leading San Francisco to an 11—3 record, tied for the best mark in the league. 

Not everyone thinks Purdy is deserving of the title of most valuable player, though. A common argument of Purdy’s detractors is that he is elevated by the elite playmakers around him—in other words, just about anyone could quarterback the 49ers. 

The game manager label has followed Purdy since he burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2022—and 49ers tight end George Kittle is tired of hearing it. During a Tuesday appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Kittle took the label that’s been applied to Purdy and put his own clever spin on it. 

💻 @gkittle46

"There's no one that manages the game quite like him. Isn't it wild?!"#FTTB All-Pro tight end told us what makes @brockpurdy13 so great and why critics have issues giving him credit:#NFL #BALvsSF pic.twitter.com/QairVGZiZC

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) December 19, 2023

“There’s no one that manages the game quite like him,” Kittle, clad in a 49ers Santa Claus hat, laughingly said. The tight end’s cheeky comment prompted a chuckle out of Eisen. 

After Kittle explained that some critics claim the 49ers’ skill players do “all the work for [Purdy].” But Kittle added that none of that work would be possible if Purdy didn’t get the ball to his receivers the way he does. 

It’s easy to say that Purdy is a product of the system. But the two main jobs of a quarterback are to win games and get the ball into the hands of playmakers. Purdy, who has a 16—3 regular-season record as a starter and has thrown for 5,169 yards and 42 touchdown passes with just 11 interceptions since entering the league, has done that as well as anyone.