Six years ago, when Matt Nagy debuted as coach of the Bears, his play sheet carried a large and conspicuous two-word message.
BE YOU.
We all would benefit from that advice at times, whether we give it to ourselves or hear it from someone else. One quarterback who needs to hear it as his second full season as a starter approaches is Brock Purdy.
It’s not a slight to call him a system quarterback. Regardless, he is. And he runs the Shanahan system as well as anyone has ever run it.
But that’s apparently not good enough for Purdy. As he said earlier this month, he wants to be “dominant.” And while that’s an admirable goal, he should pursue that objective while remembering who he is.
He’s not Patrick Mahomes. He’s not Josh Allen. He’s not Joe Burrow. He’s not Lamar Jackson.
Beyond the seven interceptions Purdy threw in the first two days of padded practices while he was trying — and failing — to be someone he isn’t, he produced one of the ugliest moments of the 2024 preseason on Sunday night when he rolled left, stopped, and launched the ball toward the right sideline. It looked awkward and ungainly. It should have been interception. And if one Saints defensive player wasn’t in position to try to catch the ball, another one was lurking.
Purdy doesn’t have the physical skills to make that play. He needs to understand this, and he must stay within the boundaries of what he can do.
It’s not a criticism. It’s a reality. He was the last player picked in the 2022 draft for a reason. And he has done an excellent job of getting the most out of his God-given skills, because he can run the Shanahan system so well.
Again, system quarterback isn’t a slight. While there’s no shame in Purdy trying to will himself to a higher level of performance, at some point he needs to realize that, when it comes to becoming like the best of the best quarterbacks in football, his reach currently exceeds his grasp. If he doesn’t re-embrace what he does well, it could be difficult for him to grasp a top-of-market contract after the 2024 season.