Alright, so there’s a wild take floating around on Warriors Twitter, comparing Brock Purdy to Steph Curry. Yeah, *that* Steph Curry. It’s the kind of thing that makes you pause, especially when we’re talking about a rival, but the source makes you think: is this guy really doing some next-level stuff down there?
The Purdy Hype is Getting Real
The comparison isn’t about their actual games, obviously, but how they operate. Steph Curry masterfully runs Steve Kerr’s system, disciplined, setting off-ball screens with insane fight, but then when things break down? He’s off-script, improvising with 40-foot pull-ups and floaters. Now, Purdy has shown he can do both, too, at least “against a weaker or jet-lagged defense.” He’s playing within Kyle Shanahan’s system like a master, but also extending plays and pulling off that “Mahomes stuff,” finding answers or creating them when there are none. It’s early in the season, sure, but people are already talking about it feeling like shades of Steph Curry’s 2015-2016 seasons. You know, the MVP ones. The next three weeks are going to tell us a lot more, and frankly, as much as we hate to admit it, we need to pay attention to how this develops.
Adding Another Old Face to the Receiver Room
While Purdy’s getting those wild comparisons, the 49ers are also trying to reinforce their “ailing wide receiver corps” by adding veteran Brandin Cooks. They’re hoping his “veteran experience” will be enough to get him up-to-speed. But honestly, how much juice does he even have left? Cooks last played for the Saints and Bills in 2025, catching just 24 passes for 279 yards in 15 combined games. The guy is “well past his prime,” with his last 1,000-yard season way back in 2021 with the Texans. Still, you gotta grudgingly respect the career numbers: he ranks sixth among active players in career receiving yards (9,811), receptions (734), and receiving touchdowns (60). Plus, he and Brandon Marshall are the only two players in NFL history with 1,000-yard seasons with four different teams. So, they’re hoping for a spark, but it feels like a desperation move for an aging veteran.
Run Defense: An Early Crack?
We’re only two weeks in, but there are already overreactions swirling about their run defense. Against the Dolphins, they did “not do a good job against the run early in the game.” Miami controlled the clock and stayed on the field for nearly two-thirds of the first half! While the final stat sheets “looked OK” against both the Dolphins and the Rams in Week 1, and they gave up just 3.9 yards per rushing attempt over 58 attempts, those early struggles are definitely a concern. It’s hard to trust those final numbers when a team controls the clock like that.
This coming Friday, September 25, the 49ers have a final practice before their Week 3 matchup against the Cardinals. With all these Purdy comparisons floating around and questions about their run defense, that game will be a huge test. We’ll be watching to see if this Purdy hype is real, or if those early defense struggles really mean something big for the rest of their season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Niners Nation.
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