Brock Purdy Still Can't Shake 'System Quarterback' Label

At this point, it's becoming laughable to label Brock Purdy as a "system quarterback" for the 49ers.

Former Iowa State quarterback and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy warms up at the Brock Purdy Youth Football camp at Jack Trice Stadium football practice field on Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Ames, Iowa / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA

One of the main reasons the San Francisco 49ers were able to make a Super Bowl appearance was because of Brock Purdy.

The 49ers finally had a quarterback who didn't need to have his hand held by Kyle Shanahan and the abundance of elite talent around him. Purdy optimized the offense to allow the players and the effective plays to finally flourish consistently.

However, despite all of that, Purdy continues to be labeled as a "system quarterback" by critics. In a recent survey conducted by ESPN with NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, Purdy was given that label by one executive as to why he isn't a top-10 quarterback in the NFL.

"He's very good at navigating the pocket, buying time, using his legs -- you're not going to win because of him in most cases," an NFC exec said in the survey (h/t NBC Sports Bay Area). "He's a really good system quarterback."

At this point, it's becoming laughable to label Purdy as a "system quarterback" or even as a "game manager" because he's far from it. Now, he is not elite by any means. That will take some more time, but it's clear he's not a scrub. The guy can play football at a fairly high-level.

Before Purdy, only one-to-two stars in the offense could flourish. With Purdy, all of the stars get a real chance to make their impact on the game and produce. To call him a "system quarterback" essentially exposes the football acumen, or lack thereof, from folks who say that.

2024 is poised for Purdy to take the next step, and if he does, it'll be interesting to see what excuse he will be given this time to discredit him.