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Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers suffered their first loss of the season this past weekend, and there were some that took shots at "Mr. Irrelevant" as the Niners’ offense stalled once running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Deebo Samuel left the game.
Critics of Purdy believe he is too reliant on the elite production of the stars that are put around him in Kyle Shanahan’s system. But one former 49ers receiver believes that no matter what Purdy does, good or bad, he’s going to have his haters because of how much he’s winning.
"No matter how you’re playing, people are going to have questions," Anquan Boldin, who played for the Niners from 2013-2015, told Fox News Digital.
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Anquan Boldin #81 of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the field prior to the game against the St. Louis Rams at Levi Stadium on January 3, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Rams 19-16. (Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Boldin pointed out that Purdy was undefeated when he took over last season in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins before finally losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, where he suffered a torn UCL in his throwing elbow that knocked him out of the contest early.
Last Sunday also marked Purdy’s first regular season loss as a starter for San Fran, as he’s 10-1 in his career. But Boldin knows how tough it was to lose two key players on offense and play in the tough, rainy conditions that Cleveland seems to have a lot more than others.
"You look at that game Sunday, the field conditions were sloppy as crap," he said. "I played in Cleveland obviously being in Baltimore. That was probably one of the places we hated going because we never knew what the conditions would be.
"It’s right on the lake. You don’t know if you’re going to get sleet, rain, snow. Sometimes you can get all three in one day. I think the conditions weren’t perfect for football. Both teams knew that. They knew it was going to be a slugfest, a defensive battle."
Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown by Jordan Mason #24 during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
There’s also the fact that a missed field goal by Jake Moody was the decisive play at the end of the game, as the 49ers would’ve won had he hit it from 41 yards out.
"I think he’s fine," Boldin added. "Great, young talent. I think the thing for him is win now, because at some point, you’re going to have to pay that kid which is going to take weapons away from around him. Take advantage right now while he’s on a rookie deal."
Even with the loss, many believe the 49ers are the toast of the NFC – the team to beat in the conference. As long as the playmakers around Purdy can stay healthy, he has a plethora of options to work with when he gets under center.
Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to a game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on October 15, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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And whether people believe he’s too reliant on them or not doesn’t matter. All the 49ers care about is winning.
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