Cam Newton sticks by controversial take on 49ers' Brock Purdy

Former Carolina Panthers star quarterback and one-time NFL Most Valuable Player Cam Newton once again backed his take that San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Brock Purdy is merely a "game manager" even after Purdy guided the 49ers to a Super Bowl LVIII matchup versus the Kansas City Chiefs. 

"I’ve never said Brock Purdy was trash," Newton explained during the latest edition of his "4th & 1" YouTube show, as shared by Andy Lindquist of NBC Sports Bay Area. "What I did say is that Brock Purdy is a game manager. That’s not hate, that’s just what I feel to be facts. But I still reserve the right to say this: to be labeled a game-changer, Brock Purdy has to be the best player on the offensive side of the ball. And that’s not the case." 

Newton first raised eyebrows in December when he referred to Purdy and a handful of other quarterbacks as "game managers" instead of "game-changing" players at the position. While Newton later said that "game manager is not a negative connotation," he more recently named All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey as San Francisco's top offensive player. 

"Man, look, I ain’t recanting s---, and if you really want to just be honest, if you add in the defensive talent, and you add in the offensive talent, Brock Purdy is the 10th-best player on this team," Newton added during the show segment. "OK cool, did he have a great (NFC Championship Game)? Yes. Has he been playing out of his mind? Yes. Is he a quarterback that’s hot? Yes. But he’s still the 10th-best player on his team."

Purdy was a mixed bag across San Francisco's two playoff victories. According to ESPN stats, he's ranked fifth among 14 postseason players with a 76.0 adjusted QBR and 11th with an 87.7 passer rating. However, the 24-year-old did complete 13-of-16 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown to go along with 49 rushing yards in the second half of this past Sunday's 34-31 conference championship win over the Detroit Lions. 

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Purdy as the betting favorite among 49ers players at +225 odds to earn Super Bowl MVP honors. It sounds like hoisting that trophy may be the only thing Purdy can do to change Newton's mind about this particular subject.