Don’t look now, but the 6-4 San Francisco 49ers are starting to get healthy. Well, on the offensive side of the ball at least. Head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that not only will 2024 first-round pick Ricky Pearsall be back at wideout for Week 11, but big-money QB Brock Purdy will be starting as well.
Advertisement
Purdy’s been on the shelf for about a month and a half as he deals with one of those pesky turf toe injuries. And despite the fact that Shanahan said Purdy is unlikely to be 100 percent for the rest of the season, the youngster is coming back sooner than expected.
Even with Purdy’s toughness—not to mention a 24-14 career record—he still gets no respect from the media. Many have watched backup Mac Jones’ solid performances during Purdy’s injury spell and decided that Purdy is nothing but a system QB and not worth his $265 million price tag. And that was just getting on recently retired QB Derek Carr‘s nerves as he explained why the term “system QB” shouldn’t even have negative connotations.
“People say, ‘Brock Purdy’s a system quarterback.’ Uh, no. He fits that scheme. He’s athletic. Good on the run. Good anticipatory thrower.”
As Derek’s brother, fellow former NFL QB David Carr, added, Purdy is able to “rip through progressions” quickly as well, which is exactly what Shanahan’s offensive scheme needs.
The brothers discussed at length what people are trying to say when they call someone a “system QB”. Derek argued that it’s almost always used derogatorily. As if to say that the player is only succeeding because of the scheme and the coach. The Carr brothers agreed that every QB is a system QB, because that “alien” that can succeed in any system just doesn’t exist.
“Derek: I’ve been in all of ’em, that is not true.
David: Tom Brady, system quarterback?
Derek: Yes! You’re gonna put him in Baltimore?
David: Can’t. Why would you want to?
Derek: Why would he want to? … Tom fit their system perfect. He’s tall, he made the right reads, he was accurate on the intermediate throws, and then he could push the ball downfield when he wanted to.”
They also discussed Peyton Manning, who was also “perfect” for the system he had in Indianapolis and under Adam Gase early on in Denver. Derek pointed out that when Manning was in Gary Kubiak’s system during his final year in the NFL, he didn’t quite fit the system, which called for a lot of bootlegs. Clearly not Manning’s strength.
Using two of the greatest QBs of all time to make your point is a controversial and ballsy move. But in the context of what the brothers were talking about—trying to “take back” the term “system QB” in a way, and make it a more digestible and positive thing—their argument does make sense. Every QB has an ideal system, and if they find that system, they shouldn’t be denigrated for thriving in it.
