There’s an argument to be made that Brock Purdy has been the best quarterback in the league since he took over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco’s Week 13 victory over the Dolphins.
Since then, Purdy has led the NFL with a 112.0 passer rating, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 1,308 yards with 13 touchdowns, three interceptions, and no fumbles. He also took in a rushing TD.
Now, head coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers talent around Purdy have made things easier for the last pick of the 2022 draft. He’s averaged just 218 yards passing per game with a high of 284 yards in the Week 17 victory over the Raiders.
But even as Purdy is now in the postseason with a chance to ride his fairly incredible wave to a championship, he’s trying to stay focused on the task at hand. This week, that’s Seattle.
“Right now, I’m looking at it like, ‘Man, we’ve got the Seahawks,’” Purdy said in his Wednesday press conference, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “Yes, it’s the playoffs, but for myself, I’ve got to do my job. I’m not trying to think about this storybook ending [or] anything like that. It’s, ‘Man, I’ve got a great defense I’ve got to play on [Saturday].’ I’ve got to do my job in terms of getting the guys the ball, and all that will fall into place.
“But I’m definitely thankful for everything that has happened, but we still have a ways to go.”
Though he has been the 49ers quarterback for only six games — and started five of them — Purdy is considered a candidate for A.P. offensive rookie of the year, which is awarded at NFL Honors. He was just named the league’s offensive rookie of the month and was PFT’s offensive rookie of the year this week.
“I don’t try to get wrapped up in any of that kind of stuff,” Purdy said. “For me, I’ve got to win. As good of a team that we have, I’ve got to just come in, do my job, and let everything else fall into place. … I don’t want to get wrapped up in all that stuff. It will happen if it happens.
“Whoever wins it, wins it. Great. But I’m just trying to be where I’m at, be where my feet are at.”
We’ll see how Purdy fares in his first postseason action on Saturday afternoon.