Is Brock Purdy Elite?

Brock Purdy could win the MVP and the Super Bowl this season, but is he elite? That's a different issue.

Purdy clearly is a good quarterback -- he leads the league in most passing statistics. But he also clearly plays for the best team in the league, and it's hard to differentiate how much he elevates his teammates from how much his teammates elevate him.

There's no question that Purdy is a perfect fit for the 49ers, not only schematically but also financially, considering they pay him next to nothing, which allows them to spend big on other players. But if he wins the MVP and the Super Bowl, the 49ers will have to pay him a huge contract eventually. Would he be worth it.

Elite quarterbacks are worth huge contracts. But elite quarterbacks are rare. They're the kind of quarterback that could go to nearly any team and win. If you put Patrick Mahomes on the Jets right now, they'd win. But would they win if Purdy were their quarterback? That's tougher to say.

Rookie C.J. Stroud went to a Texans team coming off a three-win season, and in his first year as a starter they're currently 7-5. That's the impact of an elite quarterback. Would the Texans be 7-5 if Purdy were their quarterback? That's tougher to say.

My gut feeling is that Purdy is a very good quarterback, but not an elite one.

And if he wins the Super Bowl, no one will care whether he's elite or not.