Exclusive: Kyle Juszczyk Says Brock Purdy Has Always Been Elite as ‘Game Manager’ Label Finally Fades

San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk has witnessed Brock Purdy's growth from being a backup quarterback who was the last pick in the draft into being one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

Juszczyk, who has been with the Niners since 2017, told SportsBoom that Purdy has always been good, but that people are starting to take more notice of him as a top quarterback rather than lazily labeling him as a game manager.

A lot of that likely has to do with the fact that Purdy no longer has All-Pro and Pro Bowl weapons at the wide receiver position and is excelling with guys such as Jauan Jennings, Kendrick Bourne and Ricky Pearsall stepping up in the lead roles.

"It's been really cool this year that people have been able to get eyes on Brock," Juszczyk told SportsBoom.us. 

"It's funny, you've seen a lot of headlines about how this is the Niners that could win with this Brock."

"This is a new Brock that's not a game manager anymore, but he hasn't been playing that much different than he has been since he came in his rookie year and had to finish up the year for us. Maybe he didn't go two weeks in a row of five touchdowns in each game, but he wasn't that far off of it, honestly."

Brock Purdy's Best Performances Have Come On National TV

Purdy won't be finishing as a top MVP candidate as he did during the 2023 season, due to injury. He played in only nine games. However, Purdy went 7-2 in those games and threw 20 touchdowns. Equated over a full 17-game season, Purdy would have thrown for nearly 40 touchdowns.

Some of Purdy's more notable games came at the end of the season as the Niners made a push for the NFC's No. 1 seed. 

Purdy threw five touchdowns in a nationally televised win over the Indianapolis Colts and three touchdowns in a 42-38 shootout win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night football.

"I think it's been special for him to have two back to back primetime games against Indianapolis and then against Chicago," Juszczyk added. 

 "People get to see what Brock is all about. To get to see the level that he can play, the type of passion he has for the game. To see his personality come out a little bit. I think people are starting to see what we've seen for years, and what we truly feel is like the real Brock."

Pro Bowl Cast Of Wide Receivers

When it's mentioned that Purdy no longer throws to star receivers such as Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and how that may be helping his case on how he's perceived, Juszczyk can see that being the case.

"I think that that definitely has to work in his favor," said Juszczyk. 

"Because like you said, I think the big argument was always that he's surrounded by this All-Pro talent and all these weapons. I do think he's still surrounded by great weapons, but I don't think it's the names that people were saying before, like you said, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk."

"A lot of our receivers are not those household names that everyone hears around the league and is picking up in all their fantasy leagues and all that type of stuff," Juszczyk continued to say. 

"But he's still continuing to get it done. He's putting up the numbers, and he's winning ball games, and I think that is a testament to the type of talent and the type of player that Brock is," he concluded.