Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is all too familiar with being labeled a "game manager," so he wanted to make it clear on Sunday morning that he thinks San Fran's current signal-caller Brock Purdy is so much more than that.
Purdy led the 49ers on a late go-ahead scoring drive in last week's 24-21 Divisional Round win over the Green Bay Packers. But some missed throws in the rainy Bay Area conditions served as the latest ammunition against the second-year pro. "Mr. Irrelevant" constantly faces the narrative—from fans, analysts and players alike—that he is nothing more than a system QB elevated by coach Kyle Shanahan's offensive prowess and the team's standout skill players.
Smith couldn't disagree with that assessment more.
"[Been] frustrated all week with all this talk that Brock Purdy is just a guy," Smith said on ESPN ahead of Sunday's 49ers-Lions NFC title game that starts at 6:30 p.m. ET. "That he's just average and a product of this great situation. And it couldn't be further from the truth...I can tell you, as the unofficial president of the 'Game Manager's Club,' he's not allowed in."
If the fictitious club were to have a president, Smith would be a logical choice. The former No. 1 overall pick was often given the "game manager" title over his 16-year professional career in San Francisco, Kansas City and Washington.
But to Smith, Purdy is so much more than the loudest criticisms against him.
The current ESPN analyst attempted to discredit the notion that Purdy isn't a difference-maker who elevates his teammates. Smith showcased clips—including one from the Packers game where Purdy fit a throw into a tight window over the middle for a completion to Jauan Jennings—and broke down film to fire back at the idea the Niners have a "dink-and-dunk" QB.
As the unofficial president of the "Game Manager's Club," Alex Smith not only took issue with giving Brock Purdy that label, but said he's not allowed in. pic.twitter.com/XY2fErlAOB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 28, 2024Purdy went 23-of-39 passing for 252 yards, a touchdown, no interceptions and a passer rating of 86.7 in last weekend's win. The score came on a 32-yard heave to tight end George Kittle midway through the second quarter, but the Iowa State product may have been at his best on a late 12-play scoring drive when the 49ers trailed by four.
As far as the missed throws? Nothing to worry about, Shanahan said.
"There's definitely a few that got Brock, a few that he probably just missed trying to throw around a guy so it doesn't get tipped and a couple that you just can't explain, that just do happen," Shanahan said earlier this week. "You usually have a couple in the game, but then you add a couple more with weather and a couple more just not being exactly on the throw. He had a few too many of them. He also made some hell of a throws too...he did a lot of good things too.
"By no means was he perfect, but it was really cool when we needed him to be at his best, he was. So, it gave us the best chance to win at the end."
Purdy was announced as an MVP finalist just ahead of conference championship weekend. In his first full season as the starter, the former seventh-round pick threw for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns while leading the Niners to the NFC's top seed.
Throughout the campaign, Purdy's teammates stood up for the QB against the "system QB" takes. Kittle called that argument "crazy," while fellow MVP finalist Christian McCaffrey said he thought critics brought the best out of Purdy. But whenever this discussion comes up, the 24-year-old shifts the focus back onto the field.
And this week, a spot in the Super Bowl happens to hang in the balance.
"I have a really good squad around me and they've helped me get to where I'm at with my game and helped me get better," Purdy said this week. "And so, here we are...in the NFC Championship, very thankful for it, but obviously we have a bigger goal in mind and we have to handle business this Sunday. So, that's where my mind is at with that."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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