Rex Ryan Compares Brock Purdy to Drew Brees, Calling Him the “Most Underrated QB” in the NFL

Brock Purdy has really silenced the critics who were suggesting Mac Jones was a better QB option for the San Francisco 49ers. He has won all six of his starts since returning from a toe injury, and over the last few weeks, he has been arguably the best QB in football.

Purdy just put on another masterpiece on Sunday Night Football in Week 17. He led a 42-38 comeback win against the Chicago Bears, throwing for 300-plus yards and three TDs while also running in two scores himself. It was his third straight game with 295-plus yards, three or more passing TDs, and a completion percentage of 72 percent or higher.

Purdy’s roll has, thankfully, not gone unnoticed. For example, former NFL head coach Rex Ryan was singing the fourth-year veteran’s praises Monday morning on ESPN. In fact, Ryan went on to call Purdy the “most underrated QB” in the NFL.

“He’s the most underrated quarterback in the league. And it ain’t close. I think when people look at him, they never give him props! Here’s another five-TD day for him, but people focus on, ‘Oh, he threw an interception.’ Yeah, okay, that happens,” Ryan said, adding,

“No quarterback in the league throws with more accuracy, with timing and anticipation better than this guy. He throws people open.”

While he is 6’1″, Purdy is still slightly undersized at the quarterback position. And that, along with his “anticipation, timing, accuracy,” reminds Ryan of a future Hall of Fame QB he used to play against back in the 2000s and 2010s.

“This young man right here doesn’t have the great NFL skill set of the rocket arm, the size, the athleticism. No. But he plays the position about as well as anybody. And that’s why he reminds me of Drew Brees, an undersized guy. I had to defend against all of them. Anticipation, timing, accuracy, that was Drew Brees. That’s this kid,” Ryan said.

Ryan also lambasted those who made the Mac Jones argument back in November. Certainly, Jones would not have been able to make the touchdown play Purdy did in the third quarter on Sunday night.

Drew Brees wouldn’t have been able to make that play either. And while the whole “Dougie dance after a big play” thing is getting a bit stale, Purdy definitely deserved to bust a move after that sensational display of improvisation, athleticism, and processing speed.

Purdy has only started eight games this season, but he’s gone 7-1 and completed two fourth-quarter comebacks. He also leads the league in TD rate (7.8) and success rate (57.0) and is in the top five in completion percentage (69.3, t-3rd) and passer rating (104.2, 4th). Purdy is also 7th in yards per attempt (7.9) and sixth in passing yards per game (255.0).

If Purdy had been healthy for all 12 of San Francisco’s wins, he’d be getting a few MVP votes for the second time in three seasons here in 2025.