During a recent segment on "Get Up," ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky sparked controversy with his comments about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
"If Mac Jones was in San Francisco, he would be playing like Brock Purdy," Orlovsky said.
Co-host Rex Ryan was stunned, countering, "There's no chance. He'd be better than he is, but if you think he's going to play like Brock Purdy, you haven't paid attention to Brock Purdy. That is a slap in his face. He's not just a system quarterback."
Teammate George Kittle, speaking on KNBR's "Murph and Mac" show this morning, echoed the sentiment, defending his quarterback against Orlovsky's comments.
RELATED Orlovsky: Mac Jones would have Brock Purdy-like success with 49ers
"That's disrespectful to Brock Purdy," Kittle said during KNBR's "Murph and Mac" show. "I think Mac Jones is a fine quarterback. Currently, what Brock's doing, you look at his stats, just watch the tape. People just say, 'Oh, I see his stats. I see some of the things they talk about on Sunday Night Football.' Just watch him move in the pocket. Watch some of these throws that he's making.
"Sure, is there room for improvement? There's room for improvement [for] all of us. We can all get better. The reason that Brock gets—it's all focused on him is he's a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and we're 5-0, one of the most historic franchises. There's always a quarterback—not controversy—but someone wants to say something about the 49ers quarterback, and that's what he talked about.
"Okay, so let him talk about it. Just watch the tape and watch what he does every single game. It's phenomenal."
Kittle admits that his quarterback is a great person who works hard at his craft, also describing him as "probably someone that you'd want to date your daughter."
Of course, Purdy's demeanor changes once he gets on the football field. Kittle was asked if having the quarterback in the huddle is like going into battle with your little brother.
"You know what? If you would have asked me this question a year ago, I would have said, 'Yes,'" Kittle responded. "Now, no, it doesn't. I feel like I'm with a lethal killer in my huddle. ... He's like a lethal killer. He really is. It's really impressive, just his dedication to it, how he works. But when he gets in the huddle, he's like a different person.
"In the locker room and stuff, he's got this cheerfulness to him. I don't want to say, 'Young kid,' but he just got that to him. And then the second he gets on a football field, it's all business, and I just really appreciate that."
