The 49ers are 3-0 after knocking off the Arizona Cardinals, and Brock Purdy has been the engine behind the fast start. San Francisco has looked sharp across the board, but Purdy has been the player making it all click.
Through three games, he has completed 60 of 83 passes for a 72.3% completion rate, piled up 789 yards and thrown nine touchdowns. He has also protected the ball well, with just one interception. That kind of production is exactly why his name is already showing up in the MVP conversation.
AP NFL MVP odds from @betmgm:Josh Allen +225#49ers Brock Purdy +450Lamar Jackson +600Joe Burrow +900Patrick Mahomes +900Trevor Lawrence +1500Dak Prescott +2000
Still, it is early enough that the MVP talk feels premature. Purdy has been excellent, but three games is a tiny slice of a season, and that matters. Fans and pundits went down this road last year with Baker Mayfield after four or five games, only for him to fade hard as the season went on.
That is the trap here: seeing a quarterback start hot and rushing to crown him. Purdy is playing at a high level, and there is nothing wrong with saying he is slowly building an MVP season. The key word is slowly.
The next test is whether he can keep this going against stronger defenses. So far, the 49ers have not really faced that kind of challenge. The Los Angeles Rams, for example, do not fit that description after giving up 30 points to Bo Nix, who is Jimmy Garoppolo 2.0.
The real measuring stick comes over the next two weeks, with the Denver Broncos on deck this Sunday and the Seattle Seahawks after that. Those games should tell a lot more about where Purdy stands.
He has already shown he can handle average or weaker teams, and that is nothing new. What comes next is the bigger question: can he do it against playoff-caliber opponents?
If he comes through against Denver and Seattle, the 49ers may be looking at the best version of Purdy they have had yet.
In Other News...
49ers Turn To A Familiar Name As Receiver Depth Gets Tested
The 49ers are turning to a familiar face for some added help at wide receiver after Mike Evans went down with a rib injury. Dante Pettis, a former second-round pick by San Francisco in 2018, tried out for the team and is set to rejoin the roster, giving the 49ers a player who already knows the building and the demands that come with it.
Pettis has bounced around the league since his first stint in San Francisco, with stops on multiple NFL teams along the way. For a 49ers group that needs reliable depth, the move brings in a receiver with some history in the system and a chance to fill a needed spot while the wider picture at the position remains in flux. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Injury Report Suddenly Raises A Bigger Week 4 Concern
The first practice report of the week gave the 49ers a familiar mix of caution and concern, with eight players sitting out as San Francisco began turning its attention to Denver. Christian McCaffrey was among the names on the list, though his absence was part of the teams usual rest pattern rather than a new setback, and the 49ers are trying to handle several nagging issues without letting them linger into the rest of the schedule.
Brandon Aiyuk, Dre Greenlaw and Javon White were also among those held out, dealing with injuries that range from rib and quad contusions to hamstring and knee problems. With the Broncos game first on the board and more important matchups waiting beyond it, the real concern for San Francisco is less about one missed practice than how many of these players can be managed safely without creating a bigger problem later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Watkins Made His Case But The 49ers Just Complicated It
Jordan Watkins gave the 49ers something to think about in a hurry. After being inactive for the first two games, the rookie came back and made the most of his opportunity, finishing with two catches for 60 yards in a showing that fit neatly with what Kyle Shanahan has said he wants from his receivers. Shanahan praised Watkins for the way he ran routes, secured catches and contributed in the run game, all the little details that can help a young wideout earn trust quickly.
Still, the path forward is not exactly clear. San Francisco recently brought back Dante Pettis, adding another name to a receiver room where every snap can matter for a player trying to stick, and Watkins now has to keep building on a promising outing rather than simply live off it. For a player who just forced his way into the conversation, the next stretch may say a lot about whether this was a breakthrough or just the start of the battle. [Read more 🡒]