The 49ers Hit The Jackpot With This Emerging Star — Now It's Time To Cash In
In a year full of blowouts and parity across the NFL, one team has remained consistent. Despite a forgetful October—losing three consecutive games, the San Francisco 49ers (11-3) have remained the most dominant.
After the Dallas Cowboys offense forgot to get off the bus in Buffalo, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has emerged as the odds on favorite (-150) to win the NFL MVP.
While Purdy has been nearly perfect in countless games this year, the 49ers are a team former Michigan coach Bo Schembechler would be proud of. "The team, the team, the team" he would iterate to his Wolverines squads of the 1980s. That's exactly what this group resembles: a team.
Winning As A Team
Purdy has remained humble since being the last player selected in the 2022 NFL draft. All year we've seen credit being given to other players on the roster from virtually every star player. A strong, team-first culture is rare in a today's world of overreactions and crowning of individuals in the media.
Purdy mentioned, "I’m trying to do my part and help our team win. I’m very honored to hear it, but I think we just have an MVP team overall.”
San Francisco has fielded what many consider to be the best roster in the NFL and dominated against many of the league's top contenders. Offensively, the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle headline an elite skill position room—not to mention one of the best offensive tackles of all time, Trent Williams.
Their record when missing at least one of those players this season: 0-2. They are They are 11-1 in all other games. In their only other loss this season, rookie kicker Jake Moody missed a potential game-winning 41 yard field goal in Cleveland.
It's fair to say that when the 49ers star players are healthy, they dominate. They have the potential to showcase a 4,000 yard passer, 1,500 yard running back, and multiple 1,000 yard receivers with the best chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a bye in the playoffs, and home-field advantage throughout.
Having a quarterback on an extremely cheap contract is an extreme advantage. Purdy makes under $1 million, which has allowed general manager John Lynch to re-sign and hold onto established talent on both sides of the ball.
We've seen it time and time again with teams that have good quarterbacks on rookie deals. Look at the Chiefs who've recently struggled to surround Mahomes with premier talent due to his high cap hit.
While Purdy is in line to win the NFL's most prestigious individual award, there is no MVP on this year's version of the 49ers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan has masterfully coached an offense that cannot be stopped— you can only hope to contain them.
While many other teams have fallen flat on their face in December, San Francisco is playing their best football. Since that aforementioned three-game losing streak, the 49ers have scored a whopping 34.5 points per game, allowing just 15.7 points per game. Four of those six games have been on the road which only makes it more impressive.
The Quarterback Sets The Tone
Last week, former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi spoke about how important the attitude and leadership of the quarterback is.
He stated, "The quarterback's personality has to manifest itself through the team."
Looking around the league, there are many teams that take on the identity of the head coach and the quarterback. Shanahan has created a culture where everybody eats on offense. Purdy has echoed that, remaining calm and humble through it all.
Purdy through 15 weeks is first in passer rating, passing touchdowns, touchdown to interception ratio, touchdowns per attempt, yards per attempt, and yards per completion.
It would be easy for someone to be at the peak of the hardest position in sports and develop an ego. Purdy continuously credits his teammates and coaching staff through a stellar season.
There is no lack of confidence in this group, as they are being led by a 23-year-old quarterback on arguably the best valued contract in all of sports. He is young, determined, but not short of confidence. That confidence has become infectious—bringing the best out of a team destined for a Super Bowl run.
Super Bowl Chances
There is a revenge factor feeling with the 49ers—following a 2022 season which ended with Purdy injured in the NFC Championship game. They avenged that loss against the Eagles a couple weeks ago in astonishing fashion—defeating them in Philadelphia 42-19
The 49ers are +225 to win the Super Bowl, making them the clear favorite. Given the value of the No. 1 seed in the relatively new seven-team playoff and the lack of depth in the NFC, they have the easiest path to the Super Bowl.
They'll be in a tough position following this season as multiple big contracts will kick in. They are expending almost nothing to the quarterback position, but many other positions have high cap hits in 2024.
They are projected to be well over the cap, as the front seven combines for over $110 million themselves. The tight ends and wide receivers combine for over $69 million and the offensive line accounts for nearly $44 million. (Courtesy of Spotrac)
The 49ers will undoubtedly lose multiple key players via free agency, and it will be impossible to return the same amount of talent next year. Given Purdy's contract and the number of great players they have right now, this is the year to win it all. The pressure is on.
They'll face the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Day, who've developed a strangle hold on the No. 1 seed in the AFC. A potential Super Bowl Preview could put a stamp on Purdy's MVP season, and prove again why they're the team to beat across the entire NFL.
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