Cam Newton was one of the first to coin San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy as a game manager. The former NFL quarterback recently went out of his way to clarify his take, which attracted a lot of media attention.

During a recent episode of his 4^th and 1 podcast, Newton reviewed Purdy’s first five games of the 2024 season, in which the 49ers have a losing record of 2-3. Regardless of the outcome, the former league MVP came to Purdy’s defense, and by doing so, he defended himself.

Purdy currently sits with the fourth most passing yards with 1374, which is 8.8 yards per game—better than any other quarterback starting—in the top 10. He’s completing passes while taking the second-lowest amount of sacks among the leading quarterbacks (top 5, tied with Falcons Kirk Cousins on 12).

Cam Newton praises Brock Purdy for delivering despite playing without top players

The 49ers were dealt a massive blow even before the season began. Reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Christian McCaffrey was ruled out for several weeks due to an ACL injury.

It wasn’t just the all-pro running back; Purdy had to improvise playing without wide receiver Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle, and tackle Trent Williams. The 24-year-old still performed with a quarterback rating of 95.3 (best in the top 5), throwing 6 touchdowns.

Newton praised the third-year signal caller for keeping the 49ers competitive despite the absence of the regulars in the offense.

You’ve watched him [Brock Purdy] play. I don’t give a damn if it’s his skillset, I don’t give a damn if it’s the scheme, and I don’t give a damn if it’s the players, he’s getting the job done.

Newton added.

When his co-host asked Newton whether he still believes Brock Purdy is a game manager, the 35-year-old replied, “That was so last year.”

Despite the numbers, Purdy remains committed to improving on his early season form. For him to achieve that, the Iowa State graduate must focus on making quicker decisions. He is currently in the bottom half among starting quarterbacks in terms of release time through the first five weeks. Purdy clarified the reason behind it.

I’ve got to be smart, make a couple guys miss, maybe throw the ball away, being willing to play with third-and-manageable rather than trying to make up for it after a 10-yard loss with a crazy scramble. So, it definitely depends on the situation.

Brock Purdy said. (ht/Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated).

The Niners have back-to-back difficult games to deal with. It kicks off with an away game at divisional rivals the Seattle Seahawks, followed by fixtures against the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then a reverse tie against the Seahawks.