After leading the 49ers to a 24-21 win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC divisional playoff round and delivering a masterclass game-winning drive in the process, quarterback Brock Purdy still faces plenty of criticism.
The latest to etch their name onto the anti-Purdy agenda is Ryan Clark, retired 13-year NFL veteran and ESPN analyst.
On Monday, Clark made distasteful remarks about Purdy on ESPN’s “First Take,” discounting the 24-year-old’s MVP candidacy.
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“I’m about to make a confession," Clark said. "The single hardest thing I had to do this year was act like Brock Purdy deserved to be in the conversations with [Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson],” Clark said on Monday. “Because [Purdy] was playing extremely well and operating in that offense and distributing that ball to [George] Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, we had to continue to include him in conversations with Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen. Those things are not alike.”
Clark’s statements didn’t go unnoticed, as his negative words caught the attention of Deebo Samuel.
As usual, San Francisco’s star wide receiver rushed to Purdy’s defense, calling out Clark on social media.
“Never seen so much hate for a QB that lead the league in almost every category y'all folks be buggin frfr,” Samuel posted on his Instagram story. “That [tape] don't tell no lies.”
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Purdy, as he often is, was subject to unfair criticism. Due to the 49ers’ star-studded roster, Purdy again was cited as inadequate, instead a product of his teammates.
Clark had more to say about the concept during the “First Take” segment, sharing a common sentiment of Purdy’s detractors.
“Brock Purdy is a fine player,” Clark declared. “Brock Purdy can operate in Kyle Shanahan’s offense at an extremely efficient level. Brock Purdy doesn’t raise the level of play of anyone around him. So when you talk about Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, the people around them benefit from having those sorts of players at the quarterback position. Brock Purdy benefits from having the sort of players he has at the skill positions around him."
Clark was dismissive of Purdy's elite 2023 NFL regular season, which also was his first full season as San Francisco's starter.
While leading San Francisco to a 12-5 record, the second-year quarterback rewrote the history books while topping the league in numerous categories like passer rating (113.0) and yards per completion (13.9).
After defeating the Packers at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday, Purdy moved to 21-5 as the 49ers’ starter, playoffs included.
Samuel was right to defend his young quarterback, as Clark failed to consider Purdy’s stats and overall success during his blatantly biased rant.