Colin Cowherd Reverses Stance on Brock Purdy, Praises 49ers Quarterback

Sports media personality Colin Cowherd has significantly altered his perspective on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, admitting his earlier criticisms were perhaps misguided.

During a recent episode of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," Cowherd acknowledged Purdy's strong start to the 2026-27 NFL season, which has led to this reassessment. He admitted his previous view was that Purdy benefited greatly from the wealth of offensive talent around him, including Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Trent Williams, and Deebo Samuel.

"My take [on Brock Purdy] was always where you get Christian McCaffrey, Kittle, Trent Williams, Deebo— you’ve got the keys to a Mercedes right out of college," Cowherd stated, speaking with former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. "I think he sees [the field] as well as anybody. Watching his head, I mean he watches the whole field… I think Purdy’s playing as good a quarterback as anybody in the league right now. I really do."

Hasselbeck, in turn, agreed with Cowherd's revised assessment. "I don’t think you’re a hater, Colin. I think you’ve just finally seen the light with Brock Purdy," Hasselbeck said. "I mean, I’ve said it for probably too long: I think he’s incredible. I think he’s a baller."

Hasselbeck also highlighted Purdy's ability to make crucial decisions, even on plays where the initial scheme might have been flawed, noting that Purdy's execution often turned such situations into successes for the 49ers. He pointed to Purdy as a prime example of how to identify and develop a young quarterback, even if the path to that development was somewhat unexpected for the team.

As the 49ers continue their season, fans will be watching to see if Purdy can maintain this level of play and continue to validate Cowherd's new perspective.