San Francisco 49ers Brock Purdy NFL MVP favorite

Brock Purdy's stats prove he's the NFL's MVP, outperforming all other quarterbacks. Team record shouldn't overshadow his undeniable success.

The current NFL MVP odds have Brock Purdy ranked sixth, trailing five other quarterbacks. This ranking would make sense if those five quarterbacks had outperformed the San Francisco 49ers' passer, but the truth is that none of them have. Not Jalen Hurts, who has led the Philadelphia Eagles to the NFL's best record. Not two-time and reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes, who had a tough night on Monday. Not Lamar Jackson, not Tua Tagovailoa, not Dak Prescott. None of these quarterbacks have done enough to make them a superior MVP candidate to Brock Purdy as the NFL season enters Week 12.

The arguments against Purdy are all fluff and no substance. The odds reflect widespread disbelief due to Purdy being the "Mr. Irrelevant" as the last pick in the 2022 draft. However, focusing on his production on the field is more important than dwelling on his draft position. When comparing him to other quarterbacks in the MVP conversation, there are no significant metrics that support Purdy as anything but the league's best quarterback through 10 games.

Looking at completion percentage, TD percentage, yards per attempt, yards per completion, QB rating, and QBR, Purdy ranks number one in all six categories. His QB rating of 115.1 would rank 11 all-time if it stood for the rest of the season. Purdy achieved a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in the 49ers' victory over Tampa Bay. Additionally, Purdy's 9.7 YPA is the second-highest through 10 games in NFL history among quarterbacks with 250 or more passing attempts.

Even more advanced metrics support Purdy's MVP candidacy. Pro Football Reference uses Passing Success Rate to assess how well a quarterback performs on each down, and Purdy ranks number one in this category as well. Another stat called EVE, for efficiency vs. expected, also places Purdy at the top. Critics might argue that Purdy's exceptional teammates are the primary reason for his success, but every quarterback needs playmakers to win.

The only case against Purdy that has any merit involves team record. Typically, the quarterback on the team with the best record wins the MVP award. However, if we're left with sheer individual numbers to compare Purdy and Hurts and Goff, the numbers are irrefutable. They provide clear direction to the only logical choice.