Cam Newton recently came under fire for calling San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy a “game-manager.”
The 2015 NFL MVP said the same for Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa and Jared Goff, adding that they were not “game-changers.”
The argument is rather strongest in Purdy’s case. The final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft helped the Niners to an NFC championship appearance last season, and they are 10-3 this season.
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Brock Purdy, #13 of the San Francisco 49ers, celebrates after a touchdown by Jordan Mason, #24, during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium on October 8, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
However, Newton and many others believe that Purdy is riding the coattails of Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Kyle Shanahan, an elite offensive line and stagnant defense.
“When I think about the 49ers, it’s not Brock Purdy. This is Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, that unbelievable defensing line, Kyle Shanahan,” Newton said in a video on X, formerly Twitter, early Friday morning.
“As an organization, going into the offseason, our main emphasis on trying to decide a quarterback is ‘We gotta go find us another [Aaron Rodgers], the next Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson . . . .” he continued. “They don’t say ‘I’m going into the draft to find another Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff or Tua Tagovailoa.”
Brock Purdy, #13 of the San Francisco 49ers, reacts to a touchdown during the second quarter of a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on November 23, 2023, in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
CAM NEWTON DOUBLES DOWN ON CALLING BROCK PURDY, DAK PRESCOTT AND OTHERS ‘GAME-MANAGERS’
Newton tried to convince his followers that the term doesn’t have a negative connotation, but just about everyone would agree.
But Purdy is just ignoring Newton altogether. He was asked on Thursday whether he considered himself a “game-manager.”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to comment on that,” he said Thursday, via PFF.” Like I said, I’m playing quarterback, trying to win games, and we’ll see at the end of all of it.”
Say what you want about Purdy, but he is having one heck of a season numbers-wise. His 70.2 completion percentage ranks atop the league among qualified QBs, and his 3,553 passing yards are the third-most, putting him right in the MVP conversation.
Brock Purdy, #13 of the San Francisco 49ers, throws a pass during the fourth quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi’s Stadium on October 29, 2023, in Santa Clara, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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Whether that’s due to surrounding talent or not is moot. He and the Niners are easily Super Bowl contenders, which not many can say.