Brock Purdy's NFL journey has been far from normal.
From the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to the 49ers' starting quarterback, Purdy has become anything but irrelevant in 2023. Like the rest of the football world, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has been keeping a close eye on the young quarterback ahead of their Week 5 clash with the 49ers on Sunday and, so far, is impressed with what he's witnessing.
"I think the biggest thing is you can see he totally has command of the offense," McCarthy said Wednesday (h/t 105.3 The Fan). "I had a chance to see him play a lot last year. I was very impressed. His instincts, his awareness, ball placement.
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"He's playing probably a notch above where he played last year."
Purdy entered his rookie season as the 49ers' third option at quarterback before former San Francisco signal-callers Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo each sustained season-ending injuries.
The 23-year-old took over under center in Week 13 last season and has remained undefeated in games he started and finished ever since.
Despite Purdy's improbable path to get to where he is now, McCarthy doesn't believe any of that matters because of what the young quarterback has proven on the field.
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"When you look at his career, so much is made about measurables when these young men come out in the draft. But he's played high-quality football his whole life," McCarthy said. "I mean this guy was born to play quarterback."
In 12 regular-season and playoff games as the starter dating back to last season -- excluding the NFC Championship Game in which he sustained a UCL injury -- Purdy has completed 228 of his 332 pass attempts (68 percent) for 2,873 passing yards and 21 touchdowns to three interceptions with four additional touchdowns on the ground.
It's a long season, but he's making a solid case for MVP.
And while Purdy and the 49ers remain unbeaten in 2023, McCarthy and the Cowboys look to put that to rest on Sunday.