Brock Purdy has a Case Made to Win Offensive Rookie of the Year
The story for Brock Purdy could not have been written any better.
How he stormed onto the scene following the injury to Jimmy Garoppolo has been special. No one could have foreseen Purdy being so good to the point that he has made the 49ers better. It just doesn't happen with "Mr. Irrelevant" draft picks. The season could have easily derailed and no one would have blamed Purdy or the 49ers. But Purdy is giving the 49ers a better shot at winning a Super Bowl than they had before the season.
Purdy has been so good for the 49ers and taken the league by surprise that he is definitely in consideration for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Now, Purdy doesn't have a great sample size. He has started only five games and played in seven, so it won't be seen as a fair thing to give him the award over other rookies who have been playing well all season long.
Despite the lack of games played, Purdy has a case made to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
As I stated earlier, the 49ers could have had their season ended right then and there when Garoppolo got injured. Entrusting a playoff push with a third-string quarterback who was a borderline undrafted free agent was not going to get the job done. I for one had written Purdy off. Backup quarterbacks, especially late round rookies, do not last. But Purdy proved me and other critics wrong. He is the truth.
There is no denying his talent. All he would've needed to do to be looked at as a solid player is keep the ship afloat. It would've been looked at as a major win if he did that, but he's gone far and beyond that of a game manager. Purdy has elevated the 49ers offense. They are scoring points that they never managed to do before. Putting up 31-plus points is being accomplished at will for the 49ers under Purdy. They've managed to do that every one of his starts except for a short week on the road to play the Seahawks.
As of Jan 3., Fanduel sportsbook had the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds in favor of Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker at -110. Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson follows after him at +150, then it goes to Purdy at +500. The fact that Purdy had the third-best odds going into Week 18 is a testament to how incredible he has been. These odds had to have changed now after the regular season finale. Those two players in Walker and Wilson are mightily impressive, but Purdy has been making records.
After the win against Arizona, Purdy became the only quarterback since 1950 to win his first five NFL starts and throw at least two touchdown passes in each game. He's also joining the likes of Hall of Famer Dan Marino and Billy Volek as the third player in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes in each of his first five career starts. Purdy has elevated the 49ers offense, factoring into their wins, and is joining rookie record books in only six games for a Super Bowl contending team.
The 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year award should go to Purdy. His sample size will be used against him to rule him out, which is understandable. But the weight of the six games he played in should be considered, and the fact that he just wasn't a game manager -- he was a main factor for why the 49ers continued to win. Purdy is more than valid to win the award, but I think his lack of games will ultimately be what voters hold against him.
