ESPN analyst Seth Walder has placed San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy among his top 10 MVP candidates heading into the 2026 season, signaling growing national belief that the former “Mr. Irrelevant” could enter true award contention if everything breaks right in Santa Clara.
Walder highlighted Purdy’s efficiency over his first four seasons, noting his 69.7 QBR ranks second in the NFL behind only Josh Allen during that span.
Walder also addressed what is the single biggest cases against the 26 year old, the fact that he plays in one of the leagues best offensive systems. He argued that similar concerns did not stop quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford from entering MVP conversations last year.
The case for Purdy, however, is not built on raw talent alone, it’s about the larger narrative. With Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall all dealing with durability questions or reduced workloads, Purdy could finally be positioned as the clear focal point of Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Purdy’s strongest statistical case still comes from his 2023 breakout, when he went 12-4 as a starter while completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
He finished the year with an NFL-best 113 passer rating and earned a Pro Bowl selection, ultimately placing fourth in MVP voting despite the impressive production.
To truly break through the voting ceiling, Purdy would likely need a season closer to the elite statistical benchmarks set by 2025 winner Matthew Stafford’s MVP-caliber campaign last year, when he threw for 4,707 yards, 46 touchdowns, just eight interceptions, and led his team to a 12-5 record.
Walder’s list includes Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Drake Maye, Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow and Jordan Love.
Among that group, Allen remains the betting favorite, while Jackson, Mahomes, and Burrow continue to carry proven MVP résumés. Rising stars like Maye and Herbert add volatility to the race, while Stafford and Prescott represent established veterans with recent statistical peaks.
For Purdy, the path is narrower but clear: San Francisco must stay healthy and the offense must remain elite. Only then will the narrative will shift away from “system quarterback” toward undisputed top 10 quarterback.
As Walder suggests, the statistical foundation is already there, it now comes down to whether the story catches up.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
