NFL writer admits Brock Purdy ranking may irritate 49ers fans

The 2025 NFL regular season is almost here, and San Francisco 49ers fans are once again being reminded how often the national media downplays quarterback Brock Purdy's accomplishments. Purdy remains a focal point in league-wide debates. Still, the 49ers showed their faith in the young signal-caller this offseason, signing him to a five-year, $265 million contract extension in May.

While Purdy's new deal makes him one of the NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks, many analysts remain reluctant to place him among the league's elite passers.

NFL Media contributor Nick Shook released his QB Index rankings ahead of Week 1, grouping passers into tiers that will be updated throughout the season.

Where do things stand to begin the season? Tier 1 features the league's elite—Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen—joined by Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels to round out the top group.

Tier 2 includes Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, and four other quarterbacks—but not Brock Purdy. The 49ers quarterback doesn't appear until Tier 3, where he's grouped with Dak Prescott, Jordan Love, Kyler Murray, Sam Darnold, and others. Overall, Shook has Purdy ranked 14th among NFL quarterbacks—right behind Prescott.

"Brock Purdy's ranking will probably irritate some 49ers fans, but I can't overlook that he's entering 2025 with a fresh batch of adversity due to the injuries plaguing San Francisco's receiving corps," Shook wrote. "Last season, I watched Purdy struggle to overcome similar challenges. He can prove me wrong by not allowing those issues to slow him down out of the gate in 2025."

The 49ers' quarterback will begin the season without his top target, Brandon Aiyuk, who continues to rehab from ACL and MCL injuries. The good news is that Jauan Jennings returned to practice this week, rookie Ricky Pearsall appears to be developing strong chemistry with Purdy, and Christian McCaffrey looks healthy and ready for a bounce-back campaign.

Purdy still has reliable tight end George Kittle at his disposal, and future Hall of Fame tackle Trent Williams continues to protect his blindside.

Pressure on Purdy in 2025

San Francisco parted with several veteran contributors this offseason to absorb the long-term impact of Purdy's extension, putting even more weight on his shoulders. The quarterback recently acknowledged the heightened expectations while pointing to past success as a blueprint for the future.

"I'm going to continue to do what's gotten me here, and that's being real, that's authentic, and going all in," Purdy told NBC Sports Bay Area. "And I can lay down my life for my teammates by doing my job really well. But at the same time, obviously, the organization has put their faith and trust in me by paying me and being the highest-paid player on the team. And I'm so extremely appreciative of that.

"But with that comes some weight of, hey, let's continue to move this whole thing along and go chase a championship. And so, obviously, I want to elevate everybody else's game around me, and help continue to push the ball forward, but within all of that, I'm not going to lose who I am and what's gotten me here."