The argument over Brock Purdy isn’t going anywhere, and FanSided’s latest quarterback rankings just gave it a fresh jolt.
In the network’s 2026 QB list, which came from a poll of NFL site editors, the San Francisco 49ers starter landed 15th overall, right in the “Strong QB1” tier. That’s middle-of-the-pack territory, and it suggests Purdy’s standing has slipped some after an injury-hit 2024 season, especially when compared with the MVP-level buzz he carried in 2023.
It also suggests something else: plenty of voters still aren’t sold.
Only five quarterbacks made FanSided’s top tier - the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow and the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson. That group is hard to argue with. The real head-scratchers show up in the next tier.
Drake Maye of the New England Patriots, Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys all came in ahead of Purdy’s tier, even though Purdy has more postseason wins than those three combined. Wins don’t show up in a playoff stat column by themselves, but there’s still a clear link between postseason success and quarterback play, and Purdy has that on his side while the others don’t.
SF Standard’s David Lombardi put it this way:
Brock Purdy vs Drake Maye would be an elite Super Bowl pic.twitter.com/5KHzIKZgCC
- David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) December 26, 2025
Herbert may have the cleaner physical gifts, and Prescott has the longer track record. Still, there’s a strong case that Purdy belongs in the same conversation as Maye.
Instead, Purdy landed in the same tier as the Green Bay Packers’ Jordan Love, the Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams and the Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, among others, all of whom were ranked ahead of him.
For 49ers fans, none of this is exactly shocking anymore. The Purdy debate has become part of the routine.
Even if he leads San Francisco to a Super Bowl soon, the critics probably won’t budge much. The credit, they’d likely argue, would go to the supporting cast and coaching staff before it goes to the quarterback himself.
Purdy, for his part, has already embraced the edge that comes with the noise. He’s long said he plays with a chip on his shoulder, a feeling that started with being the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft and has stuck with him ever since.
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