With the first three weeks in the books, Brock Purdy has done enough to sit alone atop the NFL MVP conversation - at least for now.
That’s the easy part. The hard part starts Sunday.
The 49ers quarterback has been brilliant through a soft opening stretch against the Rams, Dolphins and Cardinals, but the next two games are a different animal entirely. First comes Denver, then a Seattle defense that looms as the kind of unit that can drag an offense into the mud. If Purdy is going to turn a hot start into a real run at the league’s top individual honor, he’ll have to keep it going when the calendar gets mean.
And the timing could hardly be worse for San Francisco’s offense. The 49ers’ injury situation is ugly enough that “injury report” barely covers it.
Mike Evans is dealing with a rib issue and may not be close to full strength even if he suits up against Denver. Trent Williams is working through a neck stinger, a problem that should make anyone nervous about pass protection.
The defense isn’t exactly strolling into these games at full power, either. Raheem Morris is trying to hold that side together with whatever he can find, but this group is battered. It’s aggressive, it’s prideful, and it won’t be enough to carry the whole team on its own.
If the 49ers are going to keep winning, Purdy has to be the engine.
That task gets a lot trickier against Denver. The Broncos aren’t going to sit back in soft coverage and let Kyle Shanahan’s offense work its usual magic.
They play tight, physical press-man on the outside, with Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss headlining the cornerback group. They want to crowd the box, challenge receivers to win on the perimeter and make quarterbacks throw into tight windows while the pass rush closes in.
That’s the kind of defense the 49ers built this roster to attack, with Purdy steering the ship. But the current receiver situation leaves San Francisco short on answers if Denver’s man coverage starts winning.
Deebo Samuel is a force against zone looks, but press-man has never been his best friend. Jordan Watkins can get knocked off his route, and Jacob Cowing brings speed but has shown a clear reluctance to deal with physical play. Without Evans, who can handle just about any coverage, Purdy may have to lean heavily on George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
That’s a strong trio. It’s not enough by itself against a defense like this.
Purdy has made it look easy so far, and part of that is because the matchups have been friendly. That won’t be the case now. This is the stretch where an MVP candidate either proves he belongs in the conversation or watches it start to slip away.
There’s a reason elite quarterbacks are judged differently. Patrick Mahomes has spent long stretches without top-tier wideouts and still found a way.
Josh Allen does it, too, often with a rotating cast around him. They keep winning when the surroundings aren’t ideal.
Purdy is playing the best football of his career, and right now he looks like he belongs in that company.
If he can get through Denver’s man coverage, then go into Seattle and survive a divisional grind without all his weapons, that case gets stronger. If he doesn’t, the criticism that follows will be loud again.
For the moment, though, the verdict is pretty simple: Purdy has been an MVP-caliber quarterback. The next two weeks will tell us whether the 49ers have one, too.
In Other News...
49ers Suddenly Have A Jauan Jennings Decision They Never Wanted
Jauan Jennings ended up moving on after he and the 49ers could not reach a long-term agreement, and the former San Francisco receiver signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings. For a team that already had to navigate injuries at wideout, the timing was hardly ideal. The 49ers responded by drafting DeZhaun Stribling to help fill the vacancy, but the position has still looked more precarious than planned.
Now the wrinkle the 49ers never wanted is hanging out there anyway: the possibility of a Jennings reunion. There has been speculation about it, even if no official trade talks have been confirmed, and that leaves San Francisco weighing a familiar name against the path it already started down with its younger options. The situation is exactly the kind of midseason personnel question teams try to avoid, especially when the original departure was supposed to settle things, not reopen them. [Read more 🡒]
49ers Are Making A Risky Nick Bosa Decision For A Reason
Nick Bosa and James Thompson are both expected to be sidelined for at least four games, but the 49ers are not planning to place either defender on injured reserve. It is a notable choice for a team already working through a crowded injury situation, especially with eight players currently on IR who are designated to return, which is the most the NFL allows.
For San Francisco, the move keeps the door open on roster flexibility while it manages a stretch shaped by injuries across the defense and beyond. The status of the current IR group already gives the team plenty to monitor in the weeks ahead, and holding Bosa and Thompson off IR adds another layer to a situation that will keep evolving as those return timelines come into focus. [Read more 🡒]
49ers May Need A Bigger Pass-Rush Move Than Fans Expected
The 49ers edge rush has become one of the more pressing issues on a roster that usually builds its identity around pressure up front. With Nick Bosa dealing with injury and the rest of the group providing limited production, San Francisco may be staring at a need that goes beyond the usual depth fix, especially if it wants to keep the defense operating at its usual level.
One name that has surfaced is Khalil Mack, with Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report suggesting the Chargers could be open to moving the veteran pass rusher. Mack still carries the rsum of a multiple-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, but his one-year deal and looming free agency make him a player with an uncertain future, and for the 49ers the bigger question may be whether a move of that magnitude is the kind of swing their pass rush now requires. [Read more 🡒]