Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith, who spent his first eight seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, has enthusiastically followed quarterback Brock Purdy's rapid rise. Now the team's starting quarterback, no one could have predicted such success for the former Iowa State passer when the Bay Area team selected him as the No. 262 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Following injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy seized his opportunity during his rookie campaign and flourished, leaving Smith impressed and eager to see what the future holds for the 24-year-old signal-caller.
"To see what he's done, it's honestly the best story in the NFL, the best story in football, one of the best stories in sports," Smith said this week on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game (h/t Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area). "And it's the real deal. Brock is the real deal. I think for everybody out there trying to say he's a product of the situation, listen, is [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] a great offensive coordinator? Of course. Are there great weapons there? Yes.
"But then, half the league you could say that about. Listen, you go into every, not just the main stats, but you go into the deep, kind of some of these more underlying stats for accuracy, throwing under pressure with a defender in proximity of him, passing outside the pocket, throwing the ball downfield, Brock was number one in the NFL in about every category there was. This guy does it all."
Purdy followed up his impressive rookie campaign, leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, with a 2023 effort that saw the young quarterback throw for a single-season franchise record of 4,280 passing yards while guiding his team to the Super Bowl. Purdy might have been named the game's MVP if not for a gut-wrenching overtime defeat.
Smith has seen enough to know that Purdy is a legitimate NFL quarterback, and his doubters have fewer excuses than ever to dismiss his accomplishments.
"And then you just turn on the tape, and the eye test, he passes it as well," Smith continued. "This guy, I think, plays with more courage in the NFL than about any quarterback, and that's saying a lot. He's not a big guy, but, man, he stands in there, and that's something you just can't coach. I'm sorry. Guys have it or they don't.
"You can look good in shorts and throw it all around the yard, but when you put the pads on, and 350 pounders are bearing down on you, to have that kind of courage and stand in there and still have the poise and accuracy to keep his eyes downfield again, it's just really, really rare."
Purdy is entering his third NFL season, and will benefit from his first real offseason of work. He was buried on the 49ers depth chart during his rookie offseason and recovering from offseason surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow last year.
Smith believes Purdy can be the long-term franchise quarterback for the 49ers.
"And obviously, he can process, and he can hit his spot," Smith stated. "So, he's gonna be playing a long time at a high level. He's got that in him. And obviously, it's just so rare for a guy to have dropped that far in the draft. And I think so many people just can't get over the fact that it doesn't add up for him, right? He's not 6-5. He's not throwing it 80 yards. They don't have the measurables. They can't quantify it. But in the end, that's not what playing quarterback is all about anyway.
"Again, it's about accuracy and processing and toughness, and this guy has all those things. And so I certainly love contradicting. There's a lot of people out there that love to hate on him and knock him down, but he is the real deal, and incredibly happy for him, and it couldn't [happen] to a better kid. This guy's as humble as they come and just has a great, quiet confidence about him."
The 49ers' future looks promising, with Smith and others foreseeing a bright career ahead for the team's talented quarterback.
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