On Sunday, Brock Purdy did an excellent job of quieting his critics. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback, coming off March surgery on his throwing arm, picked up right where he left off during his rookie campaign, showing that his performance last season was no fluke.
The second-year quarterback has earned the respect of his NFL peers, and some of those who still doubted him might have changed their tune after the Week 1 beatdown the 49ers delivered on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"I just don't think that we should sleep on Brock Purdy no more," Dallas Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons said this week. "Yes, he was a seventh-round pick. Yes, he came in late in the season and won six straight games, took them to the NFC Championship before his injury. But Purdy, you will not be slept on no more, brother. I think people are coming for you the same way they come for [Aaron] Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes.
"Yes, you are surrounded by a great team, but you are playing your butt off, and you got one hell of a story, brother."
Micah Parsons called Brock Purdy a top 15 quarterback and said he'll no longer be overlooked:
"I just don't think that we should sleep on Brock Purdy no more."
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San Francisco routed the Steelers 30-7 on their home turf. It was a matchup that most felt would end with a closer score. Purdy finished 19-of-29 for 220 yards with two touchdowns and a passer rating of 111.3.
Where does Parsons rank the 49ers' young quarterback among the NFL's best?
"If we were to rank Purdy right now, I think Purdy is a top 15 quarterback," Parsons answered. "There's things that we still want to see from Purdy; not when Purdy is winning, but when Purdy's down. I think the adversity aspect of the football game is huge. Learning how to play from behind, learning situational football.
"It's not something I'm saying he can't do. It's just something that we just haven't seen yet."