During the 2023 NFL season, we’ve seen breakout performances from several young quarterbacks, and some of them look like they could be potential stars in this league for years to come. Three young quarterbacks in their first full season as starters (Jordan Love, Brock Purdy and C.J. Stroud) were able to impress their team and lead them to the playoffs. Purdy has continued to show that he is capable of producing at a high level despite being the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft selected by the San Francisco 49ers. He helped his team earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC and now has his sights set on winning the NFC Championship game against the Detroit Lions. Stroud has rejuvenated the Houston Texans by leading them to an AFC South championship and is likely the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. With these impressive seasons in mind, Campus Correspondent Gavin Friedman and Associate Sports Editor Evan Rodriguez debate who will have the better career.
Gavin
While both of these players have the talent to be successful in the NFL, I believe that Brock Purdy has a brighter future in San Francisco. Despite being the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, he has proven that he can be a top quarterback in this league. During the regular season, Purdy led the NFL in yards per attempt (9.6) and quarterback rating (72.8). He also finished third in touchdown passes (31) and second in completion percentage among full-year starters (69.4%). Purdy was one of the best quarterbacks this season and he has been considered a potential league MVP candidate for parts of the season. Purdy is surrounded by tons of other talented players including Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner. The talented players on offense will give Purdy more confidence when making passes to receivers. Furthermore, the efficient defense will keep San Francisco in games which will create less pressure for Purdy to force the ball downfield. Additionally, Purdy is part of an offense run by 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan who is widely regarded as one of the best offensive play-callers in the NFL. All of these factors will set Purdy up for even more success in the future as Shanahan will continue to utilize both Purdy’s strengths and those of the offense surrounding him.
Evan
I agree that Brock Purdy has proved himself on the field, but even with the impressive statistics that the former Iowa State quarterback has displayed as a member of the Niners, I feel that you still have to go with C.J. Stroud. First and foremost, while Purdy clearly has the better team around him in San Francisco at the moment, Houston has certainly shown that they’re not about to let teams pass them over. They brought in a new head coach with DeMeco Ryans and notably added more firepower on both sides of the field. A lot of the pieces that they brought in to help Stroud out on the offensive side of the ball, including Dalton Schultz and Tank Dell, were huge weapons that he utilized very well. In the future, they’re going to continue to bring in even more talent, and considering that Stroud just took this Texans team to a 10-7 record, you better believe that it means that better things are on the horizon. Additionally, Stroud has already shown the ability to help his teammates excel on the field and you don’t have to look further than Nico Collins to prove that point. The former Michigan prospect caught 80 receptions for 1,297 yards this season after failing to break the 500-yard plateau in previous seasons. If you combine my previous point with that fact, I don’t think it’s a shock that many NFL fans are on the Stroud hype train.
Gavin
I certainly see the appeal for Stroud, but it’s hard for me to look past what Purdy has done so far in his early career. Being Mr. Irrelevant in the draft has given Purdy plenty of skepticism, especially since at the beginning of the season, he was trying to become a viable starting quarterback for a San Francisco team that was ready to compete for a Super Bowl. Despite the immense pressure that he faced, I believe that Purdy has been able to silence his critics and has proven that he can perform at a very high level in the NFL. Purdy has been a big reason as to why the Niners have made it to the NFC Championship game where they are currently seven-point favorites to defeat the Detroit Lions this Sunday. Additionally, there are areas of Purdy’s game that he is looking to improve upon in the future. According to an ESPN article, Purdy is looking to improve on his throwing power, something he was criticized for when he was drafted in 2022. He is also looking to improve his pocket presence so he can make better passing decisions. I’m sure most young players in this league, including Purdy and Stroud, will look to make improvements to their game, but if Purdy is able to make these adjustments in future seasons he will be able to distinguish himself as an elite quarterback in this league. When you add the talented roster and coaching staff that the 49ers already have in place, I feel Purdy has everything he needs in order to be successful in the NFL.
Evan
I won’t argue that Purdy will be a very successful quarterback in the league as long as he’s a 49er, but that brings me to my next point, which is the personnel in San Francisco. When the young quarterback entered the starting role, he was added to a lineup that consisted of several viable offensive weapons, including Samuel, McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk among others. He may have made the team better from there as he went undefeated as the starter. However, you could easily argue that the work of Shanahan and the players around Purdy played a larger role than the 2023 Pro Bowler did himself. In his rookie season, Stroud turned a team that was deemed one of the worst rosters in the entire league into a playoff team that dismantled a hot Cleveland Browns roster. He did this without a single superstar around him and in my mind, this is just the beginning for Stroud and company. The Texans’ front office will find a way to add even more firepower to both sides of the field and the former No. 2 overall selection will continue to get even better with his relentless work ethic. Eventually, I can see them being one of the most feared teams in the league with the former Ohio State quarterback under center and bringing back hope to a city that has suffered for far too long.