The San Francisco 49ers are enjoying their bye week while calling around and keeping tabs on potential trade partners and players. Although it isn’t technically the second half of the season, the bye week marks a nice point in the season to look back at the past seven weeks for Brock Purdy. With seven weeks of sample size paired with the efficiency and offensive output, narratives have been spun praising and knocking down Purdy’s performance. It’s hard to argue the level of play from Purdy this season hasn’t
been an upgrade over past years, but the same tired narratives about Kyle Shanahan and his system and the “Avengers” persist.
Unfortunately, no matter how well Purdy plays, people will cling to the Shanahan and playmakers argument for eternity. The truth is, everyone needs help from playmakers, and the system absolutely matters. Think about all the people who blame coaching and the lack of playmakers for certain Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen performances. If those guys need help, then everyone does, right?
Taking a look at some key metrics for Purdy through seven weeks as a passer, outside of QBR or passer rating, tells another side of the story of 2026, thanks to PFN Fantasy.
Purdy’s average time to throw is 2.99 seconds, which is good for fifth in the league. The offensive line has played well this season, but this number is indicative of Purdy scrambling more than others, as evidenced by four of the quarterbacks ahead of him on this list. Mahomes and Drake Maye are tied for first at 3.17 seconds and are followed by Caleb Williams and Bo Nix.
As far as “first read” throws go, Purdy is fourth in the NFL at 67.5%. Matthew Stafford is first at 77.4%, with Jared Goff at 72.7% and Jordan Love at 69.6% right behind him. Stafford and Love play in similar offenses to Purdy, with timing and precision as a passer being at the top of the list. Joe Burrow is right behind Purdy, and Zac Taylor is part of the same tree.
Looking at “designated receiver” throws, which are screens, shovel passes, jet sweeps, and forward passes, Purdy has a modest 7.5%. I would argue that Purdy’s ability as a passer negates the need for these types of plays, as opposed to past quarterbacks and in years past for Shanahan and the offense.
“Second read” throws are an interesting number to note. Purdy has a 7.5% of second-read throws. For reference, that is the third-lowest percentage, with only Love (2.2%), Malik Willis, and Tyler Shough at lower numbers, and Willis and Shough have zero throws to the second read. Again, citing the timing and precision needed in Shanahan’s offense, this shouldn’t be viewed as a negative all the time. When the offense is operating normally, the throws are out quickly to a receiver who is open and in the spot he’s supposed to be in.
What about the good old “checkdown” narrative? The issue is people not understanding the difference between designed throws underneath as a way to gain YAC and a checkdown. A checkdown is after the quarterback has looked downfield and found his outlet. Not when it’s a designed throw. Either way, in 2026, Purdy has a 12.5% checkdown rate. When you have Christian McCaffrey, it’s not the worst idea to put the ball in his hands.
Finally, Purdy’s scramble throw rate is 10%. Part of Purdy’s hot start to the season and his overall approach is to extend plays and make something happen off-script, which is a welcome sight for Shanahan at times. Again, the quarterbacks who top this list are Mahomes, Nix, Williams, Willis, and Snoop Huntley. Only Huntley is under 20 percent, with the other four in the high 20s.
Hopefully, these numbers help paint a better picture of what Purdy is asked to do and what he adds to the 49ers offense. The bye week is at the perfect time for San Francisco as Purdy’s weapons are returning healthy, with the potential of adding another weapon at receiver. Purdy has played very well in 2026, and here’s to hoping people can discuss his play honestly now and going forward.
