Insider shares why he would, wouldn't vote 49ers' Brock Purdy as MVP

NFL insider Peter King of NBC Sports shared during an appearance on the "49ers Webzone: No Huddle" podcast that he'd vote for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to win the Most Valuable Player Award if the season ended after Week 13. 

"Brock Purdy is a legitimate MVP candidate," King said. "I wrote in my column this week that, as of now, which means nothing because there are five games left, you don't know what's going to happen, but as of now, he would be number one on my ballot."

Purdy bolstered his case to claim MVP honors when he completed 19-of-27 passes for 314 yards and four touchdowns in this past Sunday's blowout 42-19 win at the Philadelphia Eagles that improved the 49ers to 9-3. ESPN stats show that the 23-year-old heads into Week 14 leading the NFL among qualified players with a 75.6 adjusted QBR, a 116.1 passer rating, an average of 9.6 yards per pass attempt and a 70.2% completion percentage on the season. Additionally, Purdy is fourth with 23 passing touchdowns and seventh with 3,185 yards through the air. 

Purdy received some criticism earlier this fall amid San Francisco's three-game losing streak that occurred as noteworthy players such as star offensive tackle Trent Williams and dual-threat weapon Deebo Samuel were dealing with injuries. King acknowledged that stretch of games is "a mark against" Purdy possibly winning MVP. 

"Shouldn't an MVP lift a diminished team? And the answer is yes," King noted. "So I don't know how I'll vote on Jan. 6th or 7th, whatever it is, but as of now, in total, [Purdy would] be my number one guy. The biggest reason, I think, is putting up 42 on each of the best two teams in the NFC aside from the 49ers."

As of Wednesday afternoon, oddschecker listed Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts as the betting favorite (+400) over Purdy (+650) in the MVP race. 10-2 Philadelphia remains atop the overall NFC standings, followed by the Niners and the 9-3 Detroit Lions. 

San Francisco next hosts the 6-6 Seattle Seahawks this coming Sunday afternoon.