Brock Purdy has stunned the NFL world since emerging as the 49ers' starting quarterback, leading San Francisco to a perfect 5-0 record to start the 2023 NFL season.
Some believe it's skill, while others believe Purdy's success is a product of the system -- a notion 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan referred to as "ridiculous" earlier this month. Hall of Fame tight end and ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe is one of the critics who believe Purdy's NFL success stems solely from the talent he has around him.
"No, he's not an elite quarterback. He's a product of the system," Sharpe said Friday on "First Take." "It's more credit to Kyle Shanahan and what he's done. ... I'm not so sure that if we remove Deebo [Samuel], if we remove Kyle Shanahan, we remove [Brandon] Aiyuk, we would still see this Brock Purdy. He's a product of the system.
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"Now, that's not to take away from what he's doing. It's OK for him to be in the MVP discussion and not be Patrick Mahomes or not be Tua or not be an elite quarterback. He still has to go out there and operate. He just doesn't have to do as much as those other guys."
Purdy is one of the early candidates for the 2023 NFL MVP award after leading an offense that has scored 30 or more points in every game this season. Since taking over as starter last season for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, the 23-year-old has yet to lose a game that he started and finished.
But Sharpe isn't convinced the second-year quarterback could succeed on other teams.
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"If I switched places and said, 'OK, you got to go do what [Kansas City Chiefs quarterback] Patrick Mahomes does, or you got to go do what one of these other quarterbacks have to do, I'm not so sure Brock Purdy can do that," Sharpe said. "But in this system, the ability to run the football with Christian McCaffrey and all the weapons, cause all he has to do is just not turn it over. Get it in Aiyuk's hands, get it in Deebo's hands, get it in Kittle's hands and let them do the work.
"But no, he's not elite. In no stretch of the imagination is he elite."
Micheal Irvin is on the complete opposite side of the take. The Hall of Fame receiver believes Purdy, thus far, is deserving of the MVP award and even went as far as to state that there is no quarterback better suited for San Francisco's offense than Purdy.
"People want to take credit away because Kyle Shanahan is his [offensive coordinator], but they don't take credit away from Patrick Mahomes and he's got Andy Reid," Irvin said on the latest "What the Football" episode. "Because they see Patrick Mahomes doing the dynamic things. But it's a great combination, Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy is a great combination.
"Kyle Shanahan gets to play quarterback through Brock Purdy and that's what you're seeing and it's masterful to watch. It is absolutely masterful to watch and I believe right now he's the MVP. And let me tell you this, I'd take him in San Francisco, him in that offense, over anyone. I would take him in San Francisco in that offense over Patrick Mahomes in that offense."
Well, it looks like the system quarterback debate isn't going anywhere anytime soon. But all Purdy can do and is focused on doing, is winning.
So far, he's doing just fine.