With the 49ers and Cowboys among the top teams in the NFC this season, the Brock Purdy vs Dak Prescott debate seems inevitable. They are clearly not the only good quarterbacks in the NFL, nor are they poised to be considered among the greatest quarterbacks of all time. But both had great success after being overlooked out of college, so the comparison between Prescott and Purdy is a fair one.
Debate between Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott
Prescott is clearly a more established player while Purdy has dominated the league over the past season and a half. Both are legitimate MVP candidates in 2023 and neither would be considered among the worst Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks if they lead their team to the championship this season.
With the MVP talk starting to ramp up for both, let's take a closer look at Purdy and Prescott and how they compare to each other.
the biography
It goes without saying that Prescott has a longer and more impressive resume than Purdy, winning Rookie of the Year in 2016 despite being a fourth-round pick, leading Dallas to a 13-3 record in his first season. Prescott made the Pro Bowl that season while setting rookie records for best completion percentage and passer rating by a rookie. He returned to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and will likely surpass 200 career touchdown passes by the end of the 2023 season.
Purdy didn't have much time to compile a resume like Prescott's. Most of Purdy's accomplishments can be viewed through the lens of being the last player selected in the 2022 draft. However, Purdy did things early in his career that no other quarterback has accomplished. He was the first quarterback to win his first six games while throwing at least two passes in each game. Purdy also joins Aaron Rodgers as the only quarterbacks to have a passer rating of at least 115 in their first two careers.
Create big plays
There's no doubt that Prescott has created more than his fair share of big plays throughout his career. That's why he throws at least 22 touchdown passes every year except for the 2020 season when he played just five games. He's also averaged more than eight yards per pass during a full season three times, and there's no doubt he has the arm talent to push the ball down the field.
However, Purdy is averaging over nine yards per pass through the first 17 starts of his career. He was not selected until the final selection of the draft largely because he lacks the typical size and arm strength of an elite quarterback. But while Purdy is often viewed as a game manager because he was overlooked coming out of college and has a great supporting cast, the numbers say he's a quarterback who creates big plays.
Reducing errors
Limiting turnovers is known to be an area where Prescott has struggled, especially in big games. He has twice led the NFL in fumbles and also led the league in interceptions in 2022. In four of his first seven seasons in the league, Prescott has thrown at least 10 interceptions. He also has five career interceptions in six playoff games, adding to the perception that Prescott is overlooked in football.
Conversely, Purdy was more cautious in his approach to football during the early part of his career. He has a lower interception percentage than Prescott and didn't throw any in his first three playoff games last season. In fairness, Prescott and Purdy threw the same number of interceptions through the first 12 games of the 2023 season. However, Purdy threw five of his six interceptions this year during a three-game slump. Since coming out of that problem, Purdy has become reliable when it comes to ball security, which continues to be an issue for Prescott.
Winning games
In the end, it all boils down to winning games, and Purdy has done nothing but win since becoming a starter in San Francisco. Including the playoffs, he owns a 16-4 record over the first 20 starts of his career. That includes losing in the NFC Championship Game last year after suffering an injury.
In fairness, Prescott has won roughly 63% of his starts since coming to the NFL, which is nothing to scoff at. As previously mentioned, he went 13-3 as a starter, after a year in which the Cowboys went 4-12. However, there were years when Prescott and the Cowboys underperformed based on the standards he set for himself early in his career. Prescott's 2-4 record in the playoffs also hangs over his head, especially when compared to Purdy, who has won his first two games in the playoffs, including a head-to-head matchup over Prescott and the Cowboys.
Judgment
At the moment, the debate between Prescott and Purdy should lean toward Purdy. Prescott clearly has the advantage when it comes to experience and longevity. But while that helps him in some ways, it also makes it difficult to ignore his struggles in the playoffs and at ball security. It's also hard to ignore the fact that Prescott is running out of chances to win a Super Bowl and cement his legacy.
On the other hand, it is difficult to jump to conclusions about Bourdy because his body of work is not large enough yet. He clearly has the advantage of playing alongside some electric playmakers with the 49ers and is backed by one of the NFL's best defenses. However, everything about Purdy's numbers, the eye test, and the way he plays the game suggests his success is no fluke. He's done enough in his first 20 games to be considered a better quarterback than Prescott and a serious MVP candidate in 2023.
