Jerry Rice Dismisses ‘Game Manager’ Label on Brock Purdy: ‘He Is Elite’

The former 49ers receiver believes the team has a “good chance” to win Super Bowl LVIII.

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver legend Jerry Rice had nothing but high praise when speaking about his former team’s current starting quarterback, Brock Purdy.

There’s been a lot of doubters of Purdy, who had an unlikely rise to the starting role after being the last pick of the 2022 draft, earning him the “Mr. Irrelevant” title.

Rice doesn’t believe people should disprove Purdy’s successes, which includes back-to-back NFC championship appearances and now a ticket to Super Bowl LVIII, just because of his path thus far.

“‘Mr Irrelevant,’ Brock Purdy, supposed to be that, I guess that game manager, that's what they keep saying,” Rice told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “I feel like he’s an elite quarterback. I think we have a chance.”

Caught up with @JerryRice, who offered up a game plan for how his #49ers can stop the #Chiefs’ best weapons in Super Bowl LVIII, while watching his son Brenden compete in the @seniorbowl.

Coverage continues on @nflnetwork and #NFLPlus. pic.twitter.com/G2Eql2AXCh

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 1, 2024

Later in the interview at Thursday’s Senior Bowl—where Rice’s son Brenden Rice is playing—the Pro Football Hall of Famer compared Purdy to some of the 49ers’ all-time greats as he prepares for Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs.

“He makes plays, man, like a Montana, like a Steve Young,” Rice said. “Just a down-to-earth person who wants to win. He’s going to do everything he can to get that victory.”

Rice won three Super Bowl titles with the 49ers, including the most recent the franchise won back in 1995.