Jerry Rice couldn’t determine which player from the San Francisco 49ers, Christian McCaffrey or Brock Purdy, deserved MVP honours more. It was easy for another former NFL wide receiver to decide between the quarterback and the running back.
“It’s unbelievable that this is even a question. Without a doubt, it’s Brock Purdy,” FS1 analyst T.J. Houshmandzadeh stated this week.
Houshmandzadeh defended his decision by citing the NFC Championship Game from the previous season, in which Purdy sustained a UCL injury early on and the New York Jets defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 31–7.
“The last time we saw the 49ers in the playoffs last year, we all thought, Oh, they’re gonna go to the Super Bowl,” Houshmandzadeh stated. “And who suffered harm? One Christian McCaffrey was still playing when Brock Purdy was wounded. They were powerless to stop your Eagles. There was nothing they could do.”
With a healthy Purdy leading the offence in the rematch this season, the 49ers humiliated the Eagles 42–19.
“And so if Brock Purdy isn’t in the game, that offence doesn’t work the way that it should work and the way they need it to work,” Houshmandzadeh explained. “While Christian McCaffrey is an excellent player, this is likely his final opportunity to be recognised as the MVP. For that reason, I believe, you see, a [George] Kittle said, ‘I think Christian McCaffrey deserves it.’
It appears that Brock Purdy will continue to be discussed for some time to come. However, the 49ers aren’t the 49ers if he isn’t playing for them. Therefore, there is no doubt that it is Brock Purdy.”
Purdy is on pace to break the team record most passing yards in a single season and is only 205 yards away from reaching the 4,000-yard mark. With 29 touchdown passes to his credit and a league-best passer rating of 119.0, he leads the NFL.
