49ers star responds to critics of QB Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers star offensive tackle Trent Williams responded to those who still insist that quarterback Brock Purdy is thriving more so because he plays in an offense run by head coach Kyle Shanahan than because the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft is one of the best players at the position. 

"I don't get why people say he's a system quarterback," Williams said about Purdy following San Francisco's 28-16 home win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "No system quarterback makes tight-window throws before they're there, throwing people open, putting the ball into a window and trusting his receiver to get there, layering balls over linebackers who are in good position, and still getting the ball over their head, getting it to the playmaker." 

Last week, 49ers dual-threat offensive weapon Deebo Samuel labeled Purdy the favorite to earn Most Valuable Player honors this season. That was before Purdy completed 19-of-27 passes for 368 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against Seattle to help San Francisco improve to 10-3.

According to ESPN stats, Purdy ended the weekend leading the NFL with a 74.7 adjusted QBR, a 116.9 passer rating, a 70.2% completion percentage and an average of 9.9 yards per pass attempt on the campaign. He's tied for second with 25 passing touchdowns, and he's undeniably a major reason the Niners sit atop the conference standings thanks to a tiebreaker advantage over the 10-3 Dallas Cowboys. 

"If he was (New York Jets quarterback and 2021 second overall draft choice) Zach Wilson, I think he'd probably be unanimous MVP, [labeled as] the next coming of Aaron Rodgers, or somebody like that," Williams added about Purdy. 

As of late Monday morning, oddschecker listed Purdy as the overall betting favorite at +280 odds to claim the MVP Award. That same outlet also had the Niners as the top favorites to win Super Bowl LVIII. 

Purdy and the 49ers next play at the 3-10 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. On Monday morning, oddschecker listed San Francisco as a massive 13.5-point favorite versus Arizona.