Another conclusive stat shows why Brock Purdy should be NFL MVP

It's getting harder and harder to deny that Brock Purdy will wind up being the NFL MVP this year, and yet one more major stat proves why.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy could probably start throwing touchdowns left-handed at the rate of five per game, and yet doubters would still criticize him for being nothing more than a product of head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, a beneficiary of having so much talent around him and a mere game manager who is tasked with simply not making mistakes.

Yet most of the vocal critics have precisely zero input in whether or not Purdy takes home MVP hardware once the 2023 season is through.

In fact, according to the latest odds from FanDuel, Purdy is the leading favorite to earn the prestigious award amid leading (or being close to the top of) nearly every significant passing category this year.

For those who haven't actually watched all of Purdy's on-field performances, there's yet another stat in the mix that essentially points directly to the Niners quarterback getting the MVP award in 2023.

Let's dive deeper.

Brock Purdy leads all QBs in yards per attempt over last 20 years (3 others were all MVPs)

Remember that part about Purdy leading nearly every significant stat? Aside from leading in passing touchdowns (29), touchdown percentage (7.6), passer rating (119.0) and spending most of the season in the lead for completion percentage, Purdy is also No. 1 this season in pass yards per attempt with 9.9.

CBS Sports was kind enough to point out two things about this, Purdy is No. 1 here among all quarterbacks over the last 20 years (minimum 300 attempts), and the other three who rank below Purdy were all named MVPs in their respective seasons:

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who thrived under Purdy's current head coach, Kyle Shanahan, got the award in 2016 after posting 9.3 yards per attempt.

Then, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning did it with 9.2 yards per attempt in 2011 and 2004, respectively.

Purdy isn't going to be the outlier here, is he? It's doubtful.

And, for those who think Purdy's yards-per-attempt average is merely because he has tremendous yards-after-catch (YAC) weapons like wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle, there's only a partial truth there, too.

Related story: Brock Purdy is still MVP-worthy despite what haters say

According to Next Gen Stats, Purdy ranks No. 2 in the entire league in average completed air yards with 7.3, trailing only the Houston Texans' phenom signal-caller, C.J. Stroud (7.7).

So much for the idea that all of Purdy's stats come from YAC.

That'll only drive home the reality of the final pick from the 2022 NFL Draft becoming a league MVP a year later.

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