49ers QB Brock Purdy is poised to take over top spot on career passer rating list

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy has been one of the league's most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL since stepping into the role for the San Francisco 49ers as a seventh-round rookie in 2022.

With five more pass attempts, he will take his place on top of the all-time leaderboards.

Purdy comes into this week with a 105.4 passer rating over his first 1,495 career attempts in the regular season and will qualify for the NFL's all-time leaderboards when he hits the 1,500 attempt threshold.

Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson is the current leader at 102.7 with Purdy set to take over the No. 1 spot when the 49ers (5-0) take on the Washington Commanders (1-3-1) at home on Monday night.

Don't expect Purdy to celebrate the milestone or make a point to check out the leaderboard when the game ends.

“I guess it’s a good thing," Purdy said. “But at the same time, I’m not getting done with games going, ‘All right, was my rating at least 100 and something?’ I could really care less about that. It’s more so, did I do my job well for my teammates? Did I compete and do everything I could to help this team win? I know it sounds cheesy, but that’s the reality. That’s what I’m thinking about and it’s what matters. I guess that maybe reflects, though, playing pretty good quarterback play, so I’m not trying to act like it’s nothing. But, it is cool.”

Purdy said much of the credit also goes to his coaches and teammates, who have helped him be so productive ever since being taken with the last pick of the 2022 draft.

The passer rating stat was created in the 1970s to create a single number to grade quarterbacks from different eras. The rating uses four statistics — completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown passes and interceptions — to give a number on a scale of 0 to 158.3.

The rating favors more modern quarterbacks as the current style of play has led to a higher completion percentage and far fewer interceptions than when the stat was created.

Only one of the top 25 current players on the leaderboard — Hall of Famer Steve Young — began his career more than 30 years ago, with players such as Jimmy Garoppolo and Tua Tagovailoa ranking ahead of all-time greats such as Joe Montana and Dan Marino.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said he believes passer rating is an “overrated stat” and praised Purdy for his willingness to do things that help the team but harm his rating, such as throwing the ball away to avoid a sack.

“I think the coolest thing about Brock is I don’t think he even knows that stuff goes to passer rating,” Shanahan said. “Brock competes so much. The only time Brock gets off of running stuff is when we’re down and stuff and he thinks he has to make a play and he’ll put himself in harm’s way and throw picks just to give us a chance to get back in it. Brock is such an unselfish player in that way and I think every way, every week Brock plays to do what it takes to win. Sometimes that’s being aggressive. Sometimes it’s not. But, he plays to win, which is so amazing that he has a rating like that.”

Purdy will also take over the No. 2 spot on the all-time leaderboard for pass yards per attempt. Purdy’s current average of 8.63 is second only to Hall of Famer Otto Graham’s 9.0. Graham’s number includes four seasons in the All-America Football Conference that now officially count on the NFL leaderboard. It would be at 8.62 only for the years when Graham played in the NFL.

Purdy is coming off his lowest passer rating of the season after posting a 92.5 in last week's 32-29 win at Seattle that was his first game below the 100 mark this season.

But in many ways, it was one of his more impressive games coming against one of the league's top defenses and with two drives for go-ahead scores in the fourth quarter.

Purdy was 9 for 10 for 96 yards on those drives, after struggling to move the ball for most of the game.

“It wasn’t perfect and it was pretty ugly at times," offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. “But the way he played in the fourth quarter when it mattered most, I think he threw a pick, late in the third quarter. And then it almost felt like from then on out, Brock wasn’t going to be denied. He made really aggressive throws. He made plays with his legs. He avoided some sacks. He was a competitor out there and he made plays. He’s done that throughout his career. ... In the fourth quarter when he needed to just step it up, he did.”

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