This article by Kittle criticizing Orlovsky’s ‘disrespectful’ Brock Purdy-Mac Jones assessment first appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area.
George Kittle will not allow anyone to diminish the accomplishments of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy during his brief NFL tenure.
Consequently, when former NFL player and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky recently stated that New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones would have comparable success if he were on the 49ers, Kittle reacted angrily.
“I noticed that in the morning. Kittle told KNBR’s “Murph and Mac” on Tuesday that this is demeaning to Brock Purdy. “I believe Mac Jones is an excellent QB. What Brock is doing can be determined by examining his statistics and viewing his game film. People simply state, “Oh, I see his stats and some of the things they discuss on ‘Sunday Night Football’.” Rather, observe his movement in the pocket and the throws he is making.
“Are there opportunities for improvement? Each of us has room for development. We can all improve. Brock is receiving so much attention because he is the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and we are 5-0. It is one of the most historic franchises; there is always a quarterback, some form of… not controversy, but someone always has something to say about the 49ers quarterback, and [Orlovsky] discussed this.
“Okay, so let him discuss it. Just view the video and observe what [Purdy] does in every game. It is remarkable.”
In the 49ers’ 42-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Purdy threw a career-high four touchdown passes and posted a career-best passer rating of 144.4. In the Patriots’ 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Jones was benched for the second consecutive game after completing 12 of 22 pass attempts and throwing two interceptions.
“If Jones was in San Francisco, he would be playing like Brock Purdy,” Orlovsky commented. “No quarterback is going to be successful in New England.”
Orlovsky’s remark, made Monday on ESPN’s “Get Up,” implies that Purdy is merely a product of the talent and system in Santa Clara, a notion 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan deemed “ridiculous” last week. The second-year quarterback and last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft has not lost a game in which he played at least three quarters since Week 13 of the previous season, achieving numerous milestones and garnering the respect of his teammates.
This season’s accomplishments have elevated Purdy to the forefront of NFL MVP discussions, even though the 23-year-old has not yet played a complete season in the league.
Unsurprisingly, Orlovsky’s remark was immediately greeted with opposition, and not just from Kittle. Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers told Pat McAfee on Tuesday that he hopes Purdy uses the commotion as motivation.
