Brock Purdy's stellar play this season has vaulted the 49ers' young quarterback into the national spotlight. However, a former NFL MVP isn't so impressed with the 23-year-old's impact on San Francisco's winning ways.
Former Carolina Panthers superstar Cam Newton, the 2015 NFL MVP, explained on the "4th & 1 with Cam Newton" podcast why he believes Purdy isn't a game-changing quarterback.
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"But Brock [Purdy], they're [49ers] not winning because of him. He's managing the game," Newton said. "And if we were to put that in its own right as 'game managers,' Brock Purdy, Tua Tagovailoa and Jared Goff. And, really, Dak Prescott. These are game managers; they are not difference makers …
"Listen motherf---ker, I don't give a damn what you do. You don't have to score every time. You just don't have to throw a pick every time, either. If we're going to really call a spade a spade, a game manager is different from a game-changer."
While Newton has firsthand knowledge about being an MVP-caliber quarterback, it's difficult to disregard Purdy's gaudy numbers this season. He leads the league in completion percentage (70.2), yards per attempt (9.9), passer rating (116.9) and QBR (74.7) while piloting the 49ers to a 10-3 record that puts them in the driver's seat for the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed.
49ers All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner shared his thoughts on Newton's comments when asked about them Wednesday.
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"I think bliss is hard," Warner told reporters with a smile. "Obviously, I have other opinions about that, but everybody's entitled to their own opinion. Do I think that's true? No, but everybody's going to have an opinion about something ."
49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel also was asked about Newton's remarks but offered just two words: "No comment."
Purdy regularly creates explosive plays and shows a willingness to take shots downfield, despite whatever assistance he might receive from the talented ensemble of skill players around him. Amazingly, the 49ers rank last in the NFL in pass attempts (363) but boast the fourth-most passing yards (3,560) -- a testament to Purdy's remarkable efficiency and game-changing ability.
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