The San Francisco 49ers hope Brock Purdy emerges as a franchise quarterback. While the team's roster remains one of the best in the NFL, a lot is riding on the second-year player repeating his rookie success.
How good will Purdy be during his sophomore NFL campaign? Can the quarterback do enough to earn a Pro Bowl selection? One podcast host believes so. However, that depends on one factor.
"I think if Brock Purdy stays healthy and he can play 15 games, I think that's going to happen," Al Sacco said on the latest 49ers Webzone No Huddle Podcast, presented by Audacy. "If you look at Purdy's numbers last year, if you put that over a 17-game season, it projects to 3,939 yards. So he'd be around 4,000, and you'd think he'll throw more in his second season, so I think he can eclipse 4,000 this year. And he would have thrown 34 touchdown passes to only seven interceptions. That is pretty damn good."
Purdy, the last overall pick in last year's draft, entered the 2022 season as the 49ers' third-string quarterback. Injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo forced the rookie into the starting role. Purdy looked unfazed by the pressure, leading the offense like a veteran and guiding the team all the way to the NFC Championship Game before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow.
The 49ers remain hopeful that Purdy can start practicing again sometime during the second half of August, maybe in time to be the team's Week 1 starter.
"When you look at Purdy's TD percentage, it was 7.6," notes Sacco. "For a minimum of seven games, the only 49ers quarterbacks who had either an equal or better TD percentage—[Joe] Montana was 7.8 in 1987, and Steve Young was 7.6 in 1994. That is pretty damn good company.
"So my official prediction, you're hearing it from me, I'm going to predict it: If Brock Purdy plays at least 15 games, I think he's going to make a Pro Bowl. I think he will. And if he plays a full season, he's going to break that 4,000 yards, he's going to make a Pro Bowl, and the Niners, I think, are going to be in really great shape."
You can listen to the entire podcast below.