49ers' Brock Purdy again addresses 'game manager' criticisms

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy once again addressed takes claiming that he's little more than a "game manager" or a product of an offensive system brilliantly run by head coach Kyle Shanahan. 

"Everyone can have their opinion on that, but for myself, for my teammates, I guess we sort of know the truth because, literally, we're playing, and we're making plays and doing it really every Sunday," Purdy said during a recent appearance on the "49ers Talk" podcast, as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "And so we know the truth, and it's not something that, for me, I look at it, and I get mad about or angry. People can think what they think, but if you're really watching the games and stuff, it shows up from time to time."

Purdy sounded downright unbothered while discussing the subject in December after retired quarterback Cam Newton sparked controversy when Newton referred to Purdy and other quarterbacks as "game managers" instead of "game-changers." While Purdy likely lost the regular-season Most Valuable Player Award to Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson, the second-year pro guided the Niners to a 12-5 record and the NFC's No. 1 seed for the playoffs. 

According to ESPN stats, Purdy ended the regular season leading the league among qualified players with a 72.7 adjusted QBR, a 113.0 passer rating and an average of 9.6 yards per pass attempt. He was also third with 31 touchdown passes. 

"You look at the greats—Tom Brady and [Peyton] Manning—there's so many games where they've played, where they've just made consistent plays and decisions," Purdy added during the interview. "And it may not be flashy, but at the end of the day, they protect the ball, they allow their defense to play, and they win games. So it's a team sport for a reason, and that's part of our position."

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the 49ers as massive 10-point favorites for this coming Saturday's prime-time divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers held at San Francisco's Levi's Stadium. DraftKings also had the Niners as the betting favorites at +180 odds to win Super Bowl LVIII. 

Purdy likely wouldn't mind merely "managing" San Francisco to a title en route to hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy in February.