What 49ers QB Brock Purdy Still Needs to Prove

Purdy is a gunslinger who likes to take chances, and that's a good thing. But he's also a cerebral quarterback who wants to make good decisions.

Former Iowa State quarterback and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy passes the ball during a drill 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

It's time to update the conversation surrounding Brock Purdy.

Too many people are stuck in 2023 when it comes to discussing the 49ers' starting quarterback. They insist that he's more than a mere game manager and a product of Kyle Shanahan's system. We hear that all the time. And it's true.

Purdy certainly is more than a mere game manager -- that's why he finished fourth in the MVP voting last season. And he definitely isn't just a product of Shanahan's system, considering that system broke down in the Super Bowl and Purdy played well in that game despite Shanahan's struggles.

It seems as though people still think of Purdy as Mr. Irrelevant, and in that sense, he already has proven more than enough, because he never was supposed to make it this far. But now he's one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL and next year he'll become one of the highest-paid players in the league. Which means he has more to prove.

He already has shown he has outstanding leadership, poise, anticipation, accuracy and mobility. Now he needs to show that he can protect the football consistently. Last season, his interception percentage was 2.5 -- 8th highest in the NFL. And it could have been higher, considering opposing defenses dropped lots of potential interceptions.

Purdy is a gunslinger who likes to take chances, and that's a good thing. But he's also a cerebral quarterback who wants to make good decisions. So he should be able to reduce his turnovers while maintaining his aggressive. And if he accomplishes that feat, he'll be elite.