Brock Purdy is on a Path That can Immortalize him as a 49ers Legend

To be called a "49ers legend" is never easy for one of the most prestigious franchises in the NFL, but Brock Purdy is currently on a path to becoming one.

Kyle Shanahan tried to tell everyone back in August.

Brock Purdy is the "real deal" is what he said when he committed to having him be the 49ers' starting quarterback for 2023. And sure enough, he is. Any doubts about Purdy being a good quarterback should be quelled by now. He's not a product of Shanahan's system like previous quarterbacks, nor is he carried by the stars around him. It certainly helps him play at a high-level, but what quarterback doesn't?

Look at Patrick Mahomes with the Chiefs this season. I'm sure he'd love to have more than one or two adequate skill players not named Travis Kelce right about now. Purdy is optimizing the 49ers' offense, which is why he is in the MVP discussion and is now a favorite to win it. Purdy has the stats and passes the eye test on a team that has a good chance at winning the Super Bowl. Everything is trending towards him having a season that is one for the books.

Purdy is on a path that can immortalize him as a 49ers legend. For starters, a player who was a borderline undrafted free agent should not be this good or even come close to the accomplishments that he is potentially going to garner. Purdy is having a legitimate storybook career thus far, and it will become that if he wins the MVP. It is looking more and more like he will get that award too, which I believe he locks it up in if the 49ers clinch the No. 1 seed. This alone will already have him considered, but isn't enough to be regarded as a legend with the franchise.

In order for Purdy to do that, he must lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl victory. To have an MVP award along with a Super Bowl will forever immortalize him. It won't even matter if he has a drop off in performance for the rest of his career. From the very moment he took over in 2022 against the Dolphins to that Super Bowl victory, it will be viewed as a special run. One that will be glorified forever. Now, I know that may be too much since the 49ers have an abundance of legends. But Purdy will be immortalized as a legend because of his story. 

Again, for him to be the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft, then become an MVP and Super Bowl winner is going to be one of the greatest stories in NFL history. He may not be breaking any astronomical records, but he doesn't need any of that. He's already defying the odds. It is a story like that which makes sports so endearing. Purdy has an underdog story that makes everyone want to gravitate toward him, which is probably why he may still have doubters because what he is doing has never been seen before given his draft status. 

What we're witnessing is an outlier. One that should be immortalized for the 49ers should Purdy accomplish both feats. You could even argue that Purdy doesn't even need the MVP. A Super Bowl victory is probably all he needs to earn the title "49ers legend" if it happens. That will carry much more weight than the MVP award. He just so happens to be on a path where he can attain both, thus putting him in position to be a legend.

There are still some ways to go before all of this can become real, which means much can change until then. However, I wouldn't be too skeptical that any of this doesn't become reality with how Purdy and the 49ers are trending.