FACT CHECK: Did Brock Purdy Run a Faster 10-Yard Split Than Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel?

Earlier this week, Brock Purdy sent the NFL world into a frenzy by boldly claiming that his 10-yard split was faster than that of his teammates: Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey. Considering that Purdy doesn’t come across as the most athletic of the group, the QB even challenged listeners to fact-check his claim.

Well, much to everyone’s surprise, a look back at Purdy’s Combine dash corroborates his assertions. According to stats from the trio’s respective NFL Combines, Deebo surprisingly recorded the slowest 10-yard split, covering it in exactly 1.7 seconds.

McCaffrey, on the other hand, ranks second with a 10-yard split covered in 1.67 seconds, while Purdy surprisingly clocked it at just 1.64 seconds. To the naked eye, these milliseconds may seem negligible, but from a speed perspective, they do matter. Just ask Noah Lyles.

This interesting debate about the 10-yard split emerged after reporters questioned Brock about his mobility and whether it could add versatility to his play.

Replying to his doubters with a bold proclamation, and then being proved right by the fact-checkers, is arguably one of the biggest moves an athlete has pulled this year. However, the question remains: How is this possible?

For most NFL fans who have watched Purdy over the last two years, it’s quite evident that he is not the fastest among the lot. However, what people are overlooking here is his acceleration.

While Purdy has insane acceleration, CMC and Deebo have insane speed. This is evident in their 40-yard timings.

Is Purdy the slowest of the trio?

The major difference between speed and acceleration lies in the momentary nature of the two. Acceleration is a short burst of velocity, while speed is more stable. Therefore, even though Purdy started fastest compared to his peers, he finished his 40-yard dash at 4.84 seconds.

On the other hand, both CMC and Deebo finished their 40-yard dash in a mind-boggling 4.48 seconds. While a few Purdy fans might be unhappy with this stat, it has to be noted that these are perfectly reasonable numbers for a QB.

As Purdy mentioned in his press conference, he is agile enough to maneuver inside the pocket, evade rushes, and throw well. The key component needed for this act is acceleration, which he excels at.

However, Deebo and CMC play in positions [WR and RB] where speed and stamina are paramount. It is these attributes that have helped the duo find so much success in the NFL.

So, it’s always best to judge such metrics with players in the same position because, statistically, Purdy was one of the fastest QBs of his class.