Arik Armstead says Brock Purdy should be 'frontrunner for MVP this year'

Speaking to FanSided, 49ers defensive tackle Arik Armstead is fully on board with Brock Purdy being named NFL MVP this season.

For all intents and purposes, the only people whom San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has to impress are head coach Kyle Shanahan and his teammates.

However, Purdy going above and beyond that to impress the NFL's decision-makers could result in the second-year signal-caller taking home an improbable award: the 2023 NFL MVP.

It'd be quite the jump from the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft a year ago to the most valuable player in professional football. But, based on the kind of year Purdy is having and when looking at the betting odds of it happening, the reality of him being named MVP is very much real.

He does, after all, lead the league in completion percentage (70.2), yards per attempt (9.6), touchdown passing percentage (6.9) and passer rating (116.1).

As far as impressing his teammates, one such player whom Purdy has impressed a bunch since breaking onto the scene in 2022 is defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who was kind enough to sit down with FanSided to describe several Niners topics, including the team's star quarterback.

Arik Armstead calls Brock Purdy 'a remarkable story,' feels QB should be MVP

Armstead, who spoke with our colleague Justin Fried on FanSided.com, is up for his own notable accolades, including a hunt for his first Pro Bowl nod and a hopeful Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his work in both Bay Area and Sacramento communities.

Understandably, Purdy came up in the discussion, and Armstead didn't hesitate to break down the traits that make the quarterback so impressive.

"I've seen a poise, work ethic, and talent that he came into the league with," Armstead said of Purdy. "He finds ways to get better each and every day. He's extremely humble. He doesn't make the same mistake twice."

That trajectory hasn't been hard to see. Purdy was an entertaining story late last season when he became the starter after then-Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending foot injury.

Now, though, Purdy is playing at a level few even dreamed of seeing.

"He's a fast learner," Armstead continued. "I think he should be the frontrunner for MVP this year — he continues to be a remarkable story from Mr. Irrelevant to MVP, hopefully."

Armstead, meanwhile, is hoping for his first Pro Bowl nod after joining San Francisco as a first-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft out of the University of Oregon.

That said, if the 49ers end up making it to the Super Bowl, Armstead won't be partaking in the Pro Bowl festivities the weekend before the game.

Read more from Niner Noise