Tony Gonzalez compares 49ers' Brock Purdy to Tom Brady

Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez has become the latest person to compare San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to Tom Brady. 

"Really, I think the most impressive part [of Purdy] is his ability emotionally never to get too high, never to get too low," Gonzalez recently told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan (h/t Tom Dierberger). "Reminds me of a great quarterback, someone like Tom Brady. That personality style where it’s like, 'Hey, next game up. Yeah, we had a big win but we’ve got to go out there and play.' The moment is never too big, and it’s never too bad, either, no matter the situation."

While Brady famously was chosen by the New England Patriots with pick No. 199 in the 2000 NFL Draft, the 49ers acquired Purdy with the final choice in last year's player-selection process. Purdy was never supposed to play as a rookie but was summoned in Week 13 when both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo were out of action. 

Ultimately, Purdy went 5-0 in regular-season starts and then helped the 49ers earn a pair of playoff wins before he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during the NFC Championship Game. 

"It’s uncanny. It just doesn’t happen," Gonzalez said about Purdy's sudden rise. "That hidden gem -- being 'Mr. Irrelevant,' that last pick in the draft, to come in and have the composure that he had and the ability to throw the ball." 

Brady tore the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee in September 2008 but returned the following season and eventually became the G.O.A.T. (at least in the eyes of some). Purdy will hope to follow in Brady's footsteps, but it's possible the 23-year-old could miss the entire 2023 campaign while recovering from surgery. 

Purdy's absence coupled with the inevitable departure of Garoppolo has Lance atop San Francisco's depth chart until further notice. 

"I’m really anxious to see what they do at that position going into next year," Gonzalez said. 

Once again, the 49ers' quarterback situation is set to be one of the hottest topics of an NFL offseason.