Brock Purdy enjoyed immediate success after being thrust into the starting quarterback job for the San Francisco 49ers during his rookie season. Much of that involved being thrown into an extraordinary situation, a talented supporting cast, and a great system run by head coach and play-caller Kyle Shanahan.
Of course, being part of a great system wasn't the only reason teammates rallied around Purdy. The young quarterback showed the poise and leadership of a seasoned veteran when on the football field, taking command of the huddle and offense. This level of maturity is rare for a first-year player.
As soon as Purdy started throwing passes, 49ers fans knew there was something unique about the then-rookie signal-caller. The quarterback consistently and methodically moved the offense up and down the field. He demonstrated the same level of play week after week, even in the playoffs. This consistency is part of what makes him so unique.
"That's what's impressive about Brock," said quarterback Josh Dobbs, an offseason addition to the 49ers roster, on "The Victory Degree" podcast. "He makes 'wow' plays, and everyone sees it, but everyone's like, 'Oh, he doesn't do what Pat Mahomes does.' Well, Pat Mahomes has been playing for the Chiefs for seven years now, so his progression as an NFL quarterback is different than Brock Purdy's. And they're on different teams, different schemes, at different stages of their career.
"But when you watch his game, he plays consistent football, and I think that's the difference between the top-level guys and not the top-level guys and the guys aspiring to get to that top level."
Dobbs notes that top-level quarterbacks can do the boring things repeatedly without any issues, hitting their targets and allowing the playmakers to make something happen the catch.
"And then, when the defense comes up, or they get an advantageous look to throw a go-ball, to throw an in-cut, they hit them, and they make those plays, but those plays occur because they were doing the boring stuff at a consistent level," Dobbs continued. "And I'm not saying Brock Purdy's a boring player when I say this. I'm saying he's a very consistent player, and he's a very accurate, consistent quarterback. And that's what makes guys really good in the NFL.
"[NFL defenses are] really good; they're really smart. The pass rushers get faster every single year. So you have to be able to quickly make decisions, get the ball out of your hands, get the ball in the playmakers' hands. And if you're able to do that at a high level, your team is going to play good football. They're going to play really good football. And if you accompany that with a really good defense and some stud playmakers around you, you're always going to give your team a chance to win."
Purdy undoubtedly has a strong supporting cast around him. The quarterback's arsenal includes Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle, creating challenging situations for opposing defenses trying to stop the 49ers' highly productive offense.
"And then from there, you have to go out and make that play in those final minutes to win the game, which he has done and which the top guys do at a consistent level," Dobbs added. "But to be in those positions, you've got to play really good, consistent football for 95 percent of the game."
