49ers news: Brock Purdy emerging as serious OROY contender

Despite having started just four games, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has a legitimate chance to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

To start the month of December, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had thrown just nine passes in his NFL career, one of which was intercepted. His passer rating literally would have been higher if he had spiked the ball into the turf 100 times in a row.

Five games and four starts later, he finds himself as a serious candidate to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

The seventh round pick out of Iowa State, who originally started the year as the 49ers’ third-string quarterback behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, got the nod to take over after Garoppolo was injured during the early December game against the Miami Dolphins.

Just over a month later, Purdy has asserted himself as the top rookie quarterback in the league, despite having been picked with the 262nd and final selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

“Mr. Irrelevant” has tossed two touchdown passes in each of the last five games. He has completed 66.0% of his passes for 1,196 yards and 10 touchdowns, and with just four interceptions, his passer rating is a stellar 101.4.

If he were to qualify (quarterbacks must have at least 14 attempts per team’s games played), he would be ranked seventh among all quarterbacks in passer rating. In his four starts, he is averaging 230 yards and boasts a four-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio.

According to WynnBET, Brock Purdy has the third best odds to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

And he continues to climb. The 23-year-old from Gilbert, Arizona is listed behind just two other individuals on the odds list for this award. The favorite is Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III, and listed behind him is New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson.

Walker has 936 yards and nine touchdowns on 199 carries to go along with 26 receptions for 155 yards, an impressive feat considering the fact that Seattle was picked by many to finish last in the NFC West this year. Wilson has caught 74 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns, which is equally impressive considering the Jets’ quarterback situation.

Walker is hardly a heavy favorite, however, being listed at -112 (bet $112 to win $100), so this race is still wide open. Wilson is listed at +175 (bet $100 to win $175). At +450, Purdy is hardly an afterthought in a tightening race.

Purdy is notably listed with considerably better odds than the next highest quarterback, who also happens to be the next highest player at any position.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett, the only quarterback taken in the first round of the draft, is listed fourth at +1500. He has thrown for 2,209 yards and six touchdowns in his 12 games. With nine interceptions, his passer rating is considerably lower than Purdy’s at 76.5.

Other contenders for the award include Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (+2000), New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (+2500), Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (+2500), and Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (+4000).