49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is one of the NFL's most polarizing players.
NFL pundits and fans either believe Purdy's an elite quarterback worthy of the lucrative contract extension he surely will sign soon, or that he's a game manager who is a byproduct of the offensive weapons on the 49ers' roster.
Count former NFL offensive lineman and current FS1 analyst Mark Schlereth among the Purdy Believers.
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SIGN UP HERE Schlereth, on Friday, made a declarative statement about what Purdy will do during the upcoming 2025 NFL season.
"Brock Purdy proves he's a top-5 quarterback," Schlereth said on "Breakfast Ball" last week (h/t Niners Nation). "Mark it down. When you look at Brock Purdy, one, from the neck up, decision-making, he gets through progressions like none other. And then yards per attempt. I don't even know what that means but he's first in that. That means it's good. Nerds love that stuff. Means you throw the ball deep all the time. Passer rating, he's second in the NFL since he came into the National Football League. Yards, third, completion percentage, fifth.
"I mean, he is unbelievable. And everyone just wants to point to the fact that, 'Oh, they have so many weapons. They're so good.' He proves that it's a lot about Brock Purdy and not as much about all the weapons around him, because they got rid of guys, they got rid of Deebo [Samuel]. They got guys that are coming off of injury. Brock Purdy proves that he's a top quarterback."
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Purdy burst onto the NFL scene in 2022 after being the draft's final pick that season, and he has proven that he's the 49ers' quarterback of the future.
As a rookie, Purdy guided the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game, where he injured his throwing elbow. He recovered in time to start the 2023 season and took San Francisco to the Super Bowl, before they sustained another crushing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Purdy's success has led to contract extension talks with the 49ers, and the final number the sides agree on could be over $50 million per season.
No matter what number Purdy and the 49ers settle on, Schlereth is convinced the fourth-year NFL quarterback will produce a dominant 2025 season.