Brock Purdy has quickly escalated from an afterthought to one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. With an unblemished record of 10-0 in the regular season and a remarkable presence on the field, a feat not commonly expected, especially from a 23-year-old last pick from the 2022 NFL collegiate draft. His story rings very close to that of another NFL legend, who too started off his career on a very different note. 

Former Broncos tight end and Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe acknowledged the same recently in support of his stance on the longstanding debate of whether the young 49ers quarterback is an elite in the making or just a product of the system. 

Sharpe alludes to a legend’s rocky start

Shannon Sharpe made a big statement on the latest episode of ESPN’s ‘First Take’ hosted by Stephen A Smith and Molly Qerim. “No, he’s not an elite quarterback. He’s a product of the system. It’s more credit to [head coach] Kyle Shanahan and what he’s done. He’s a product of the system,” said the Hall of Famer who called Purdy a system quarterback, a product of a system crafted by head coach Kyle Shanahan to bring out the best in him. A fan on platform X was quick to rebut, “They called Tom a system, Quarterback look how that worked out for him #7,” alluding to the greatest quarterback in NFL History, Tom Brady. Yet Sharpe seems to hold his stance, “Tom was elite in 1st 3 yrs?” 

Sharpe holds the belief that both Brady and Purdy are not elite quarterbacks and a product of a system curated by their respective head coaches. In an earlier episode of “Undisputed,” Sharpe established a correlation between quarterback Peyton Manning and Brady, stating, “Tom Brady is a system quarterback, and Peyton Manning is the system.”

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According to him, Manning was someone who could spot a player out of his position and take advantage of it, while Brady could only take the play that was given to him and execute it to perfection. Purdy like Brady, according to Sharpe, “doesn’t have to do as much as, say, those other guys,” like Chief’s Patrick Mahomes or Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, he just needs to just turn the ball over and let his teammates “do the work.” System quarterback or not, the resemblance between Purdy and the legendary Brady is unmistakable. 

Purdy and Brady: Is history repeating itself? 

Like many others, the legend himself had taken note of Purdy’s outstanding performance this year. “I played against Purdy last year and I can say that he has a great team, he is a leader, although we must not forget the work that Shanahan has done with these guys,” said the seven-time-Super Bowl winner, drawing attention to not only the young quarterback’s individual performance but also his ability to perform within the system curated by head coach Kyle Shanahan.

There are numerous similarities between the two quarterbacks and both NFL fans and analysts have acknowledged it. New England Patriots selected Tom Brady, as the 199th pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. They already had a franchise QB in Drew Bledsoe and a reliable veteran backup in Damon Huard. Little to nothing was expected from the tall, slender kid from Michigan. However, he was quickly able to earn his place as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history over the years. The initial lull in both Brady’s and Purdy’s careers is what Sharpe alludes to. Will Purdy be able to transform from being a system quarterback to an elite? Only time will tell. 

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