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Former 49er shuts down Brock Purdy's critics with pointed take

Former 49er shuts down Brock Purdy's critics with pointed take originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Brock Purdy debate has a new participant, and this one has earned the right to an opinion. Alex Smith, the 2005 No. 1 overall pick who started at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers for eight seasons before eventually losing the job to Colin Kaepernick, weighed in on the ongoing Purdy discussion on the The Krueg Show and left no ambiguity about where he stands.

"We're lucky to have him. Like honestly," Smith said. "This guy, I think is an elite quarterback. I know it looks different. I know it's not 6'5", or howitzer for an arm. It doesn't matter. This guy is so special."

He explained exactly what he sees that the critics miss.

"That's what is so unique about the quarterback position. So much of it is between the ears. The physical attributes of being able to layer these things over the middle and to play with that kind of anticipation. You just can't find it. It's hard to find."

Why Smith's take on Purdy carries weight that most analysts' opinions don't

He ran the same 49ers system under Jim Harbaugh, knows what it demands from a quarterback, and spent his own career managing the gap between public perception and what he actually was as a player.

He was consistently underrated, questioned, and consistently productive before a devastating compound leg fracture back in 2018 nearly ended more than his career. He came back and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2020.

When Smith calls Purdy elite while acknowledging it "looks different," he is speaking from a position of personal familiarity with that exact dynamic.

Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million extension with the 49ers this offseason, locking him in as the starter through at least 2029.

He enters 2026 off a successful 12-5 season in which San Francisco overcame severe roster injuries, a strong bounce-back from their difficult campaign the year prior.

ESPN's Mike Clay projects Purdy to lead the NFL in passing yards in 2026 with 4,284.

Chris Simms said nobody in the league views Purdy as a top-10 quarterback. Smith disagrees. Both men played the position at the NFL level. Just that, only one of them played it in San Francisco.