The discourse about Brock Purdy’s place in the hierarchy of NFL signal callers may never end. Questions about his skill set and his real impact on the San Francisco 49ers‘ offense certainly aren’t going away after he signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension this offseason that cemented Purdy as the team’s franchise signal caller.

To hear Pro Football and Sports Network tell it, the discourse should cease and the 49ers got a bargain with Purdy’s contract.

PFSN released a list of their 25 highest-graded quarterbacks of the 21st century. Their grades are done using their proprietary PFSN QB+ metric, which “digs deeper—grading quarterbacks on performance under pressure, third-down efficiency, pocket presence, and yes, clutch. It’s a clearer, more comprehensive way to measure QB play since 2000.”

The 21st century covers 25 seasons of NFL football. Hall of Famer Peyton Manning unsurprisingly tops the list, followed by future Hall of Famer Patrick Mahomes. Those are the only two QBs ahead of Purdy, who checks in at No. 3 ahead of Drew Brees, Josh Allen and Tom Brady.

Via PFSN:

Brock Purdy landing at No. 3 may be a surprise, but the San Francisco 49ers’ 2022 Mr. Irrelevant has outperformed every expectation.

While his three-year sample size is smaller than most on this list, Purdy’s early returns are impossible to ignore. He’s started 36 games, thrown for 9,518 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions. In 2023, his first full season as San Francisco’s starter, Purdy led the NFL in net yards per attempt (8.74), yards per completion (13.9), passer rating (113.0), and touchdown rate (7.0%).

Despite a 23-13 regular-season record and 4-2 playoff mark, some still label Purdy a “game manager” due to Kyle Shanahan’s scheme and the supporting cast. But the metrics say otherwise.

Purdy’s +0.21 EPA per dropback ties Mahomes for second all time, trailing only Manning. He leads the league in net yards per attempt (8.4) and has a +0.43 EPA/DB from a clean pocket. He’s also efficient as a runner, posting a +0.57 EPA per designed run across 35 such plays.

Purdy is not yet a consensus top-tier quarterback, but his start suggests his ceiling is far higher than many thought.

This is pretty wild!

It’s not that any of their analysis is incorrect or that Purdy hasn’t had a substantial impact on San Francisco’s offense. He’s been very good for the most part and the 49ers’ loaded offense reached a new level once he took over under center. However, placing him ahead of Brees (a Hall of Famer), Allen (the reigning MVP) and Brady (the greatest QB of all-time) is premature.

Purdy struggled some last season as the 49ers dealt with injuries to key playmakers on offense. Their defense also took a step backward and forced San Francisco to play from behind where Purdy hasn’t been particularly good in his career. He’ll need to improve in both of those areas.

It’s not crazy that Purdy is on the list, though. Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo, Lamar Jackson and Daunte Culpepper round out PFSN’s top 10. Players like Jimmy Garoppolo, Rich Gannon, Jeff Garcia, Trent Green and Tua Tagovailoa are also in the top 25. Purdy has firmly established himself as the type of QB who belongs in that group. He has a ways to go before he reaches the Manning/Mahomes level of elite.