Mr. Irrelevant will be going up against the 4x MVP soon. Despite Brock Purdy leading the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl, some NFL enthusiasts still question his skills as a quarterback. But, Purdy showcased his talent last season and is ready to dominate the gridiron once again. The upcoming game against the New York Jets will prove whether Kyle Shanahan’s “system” is better than Aaron Rodgers’ years of experience.

Amidst this cloud of apprehension, the 49ers QB has gained a very prestigious fan—one, from the NFC division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer, Troy Aikman. The former Cowboys QB took to This is Football by Omaha Productions and shared his POV about Purdy if he were a first-round pick in the NFL.

“I’m a big fan of Brock Purdy’s and if he had been a first-round pick, we’d all be talking about what an amazing player he is,” Troy Aikman said. “But because he was the last player taken in the seventh round, you know, he’s had enough…. he’ll climb in terms of being appreciated for his abilities as opposed to being a product of the offense.”

Per Aikman, people often get caught up with things like “arm strength” but often overlook the fact that Purdy is doing his job exceptionally well. He knows how to read the defenses and deliver the ball where and when it’s required. Aikman is sold on Purdy’s accuracy, decision-making, and ability to target players who know how to “create separation.”

With players like George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams (arguably a future Hall of Fame tackle), Purdy is bound to succeed, right? After all, he came up with 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns last season. But there’s something you need to know about Brock Purdy that many people don’t.

Purdy is a phenom when it comes to throwing deep balls. Pro Football Focus did an analysis back in December and they found that on pass attempts traveling over 20 yards, Purdy has a 65.9% accuracy. At that point in December, Purdy was 27 of 41 with 860 yards on 20+ yard passes. He scored 9 touchdowns with only one interception on those deep passes. Those stats rank him no. 1 in the NFL as far as deep passing stats are concerned.

And expectedly, given the QB’s demeanor, these shallow narratives that people create about Brock Purdy don’t bother him at all. He’s just focused on his teammates and wants to play football.

Brock Purdy doesn’t care about what others think

All the naysaying and blackballing doesn’t affect Brock Purdy and haters don’t live rent-free in his head. Instead, it’s the opposite. Purdy talked to Rich Eisen and cleared all the misconceptions about himself. He’s been to two NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl and knows exactly how to acquit himself from all the slander.

“Honestly speaking, I don’t buy into the world’s narrative of who I am as a quarterback and all that kind of stuff,” Purdy told Rich Eisen. “For me, what matters most is having the trust and respect of the guys in this organization and in this building—my teammates, my coaches, everyone who runs this organization.”

He expressed later that trying to please everyone would “drain” him and strip away his individuality. So, he is just being himself and that’s working out well for him. Can “Mr. Irrelevant” ball out in the game against Aaron Rodgers’ NY Jets and script another phenomenal season? Let us know in the comments below.