Brock Purdy’s MVP case is getting a boost from more than just his own hot start. Around the league, some of the quarterbacks who were supposed to be in that top-tier conversation have either stalled out, gotten hurt, or both - and that opens the door a little wider for Purdy.
The 49ers quarterback has separated himself early with the kind of production that tends to matter in these races. Through five weeks, Purdy has completed 69.0% of his passes and thrown a league-leading 13 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He has also added another touchdown on the ground.
That puts him in a much different place than Justin Herbert, whose season has gone off the rails with the Los Angeles Chargers. Los Angeles is 0-5, tied with the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins for the bottom of the league, and Herbert has not played like the player people have long described as a perennial top-five talent.
He has thrown only five touchdowns and seven interceptions so far, with a 59.4 completion percentage. There are no injuries to point to as an excuse, either.
Jalen Hurts is another familiar name whose season has fallen short of the standard. The Philadelphia Eagles sit at 2-3 while trying to stay in the NFC East race, and Hurts was recently ruled out for Week 6 because of a blood clot.
Before that news, the former Super Bowl MVP had thrown eight touchdown passes and only three interceptions, but his 57.8 completion percentage is even lower than Herbert’s. Philadelphia can still lean on the tush-push for rushing scores, but Hurts has only one touchdown on the ground so far.
Then there’s Sam Darnold, who leads the defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks, but whose numbers still trail Purdy’s. Darnold missed Week 2 with an injury, but otherwise has played in the season’s other games.
In four appearances, he has thrown seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also run for just 16 yards all season.
None of that means Purdy is being handed anything. Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford and Pat Mahomes are still in the mix, and those names aren’t going anywhere quietly. But Purdy has put himself in position, and if the quarterbacks around him keep slipping, his path only gets clearer.
All he has to do now is stay the one who doesn’t.
In Other News...
49ers Offensive Line Is Forcing A Debate Fans Didn't Expect
Through the first five weeks of the 2026 season, the 49ers offensive line has quietly become one of the steadier parts of the roster. Despite some turnover, the group has shown real continuity and growth, with Trent Williams anchoring the unit and younger pieces like Connor Colby, Dominick Puni and Colton McKivitz fitting into a line that has held up well in pass protection. Kyle Shanahan and line coach Chris Foerster have had reasons to stay patient, and the early returns suggest the plan is working.
Jake Brendel has been part of that stability, too, and his recent stretch has only added to the sense that this front is more dependable than many expected. The bigger surprise may be how San Francisco got here in the first place, because the line has been pieced together through trades, drafts and free agency rather than a splashy first-round investment. For a team that has long been willing to spend big everywhere else, the quiet development up front is forcing a different kind of debate. [Read more 🡒]
49ers May Have A McCaffrey Plan Fans Have Been Waiting For
Kyle Shanahan has spent this season treating Christian McCaffrey less like a one-man offense and more like the centerpiece of a committee, and the approach has given the 49ers some room to breathe. Rookie back Kaelon Black has chipped in behind him, while wide receiver Mike Evans has emerged as a dependable target, helping spread the load in ways San Francisco has needed as the year has gone on.
The bigger picture for the 49ers is pretty clear: keeping McCaffrey fresh has become part of the plan, not just a game-to-game adjustment. With Shanahan committed to managing his workload, the question now is how far that balance can be maintained as the season wears on and the offense keeps leaning on a wider cast of contributors. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Undefeated Start Comes With One Late-Game Fear
The 49ers have opened the season 5-0, and for all the ways they have looked like a complete team, the late-game anxiety is coming from an unexpected place. San Francisco has been sharp enough to keep winning, but the margin for error gets thinner when a game turns into a one-score squeeze, and the kicking game is the area drawing the most attention.
Eddy Pineiro has been part of that conversation, with his struggles creating a real sense that one shaky night could put the unbeaten start in danger. There are other ways the first loss could arrive, of course, but the uncertainty around the kicking game has become the clearest vulnerability for a team that otherwise has handled its business well. [Read more 🡒]