Former Pro Bowler says the 49ers should ditch Brock Purdy for this QB
The San Francisco 49ers are playing in their fourth NFC Championship Game in the last five years, and some would say they got there not because of quarterback Brock Purdy, but in spite of him.
Former two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Greg Jennings is among that contingency, stating during a recent appearance on FS1's "The Carton Show" that if San Francisco loses to the Detroit Lions this weekend, the team should rid itself of Purdy and trade for Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields.
“Is he a good quarterback? Yes, he’s a good quarterback,” Jennings said. “Is he a difference-maker? No, he is not. … If he does not win, you have to go and try to find a difference-maker at that position. A guy maybe like Justin Fields if the Chicago Bears (are trading him).”
To Jennings’ point, Purdy did not play like a difference-maker in the 49ers’ 24-21 win over the Green Bay Packers in their divisional-round matchup over the weekend.
Before SF’s game-winning drive with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter, Purdy had completed 17-of-32 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown. He struggled with intermediate passes (10-19 yards), completing just 3-of-8 attempts for 43 yards and averaging just 5.4 yards per attempt, per Pro Football Focus.
It was the second time in his last three games that Purdy completed less than 60% of his passes and had a passer rating below 87.
Fields hasn’t put up the kind of numbers Purdy did this year, but he also hasn’t been healthy for a full season, and he doesn’t have the kind of offensive line or playmakers that the 49ers do.
Despite missing four games, Fields set new career highs this year in completion percentage (61.4), passing yards (2,562) and passer rating (86.3), and he had a career-low nine interceptions. He’s also rushed for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns in three seasons, and he adds an explosive dual-threat ability that Purdy lacks.
“This was the first year he actually had skill guys around him, support up front in protection and we wanted him to be what Joe Burrow was right away, what Justin Herbert was right away when they had competency around them,” Jennings added. “This was the first year we saw Justin Fields with some competent skill guys around him and look what he did.”
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has been known to always be on the lookout when it comes to quarterbacks, so it wouldn’t be completely out of the realm of possibility if the 49ers at least inquire about Fields if Chicago makes him available.
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