Trade speculation surrounding Maxx Crosby has picked up once again this offseason, with the star pass-rusher frequently mentioned as a potential target for teams looking to make a blockbuster move.
While Crosby has continued to dismiss the rumors and reaffirm his commitment to the Las Vegas Raiders, he recently turned heads for a different reason. During a recent discussion about quarterbacks around the league, the five-time Pro Bowler offered high praise for one NFC West quarterback, making it clear he is a big believer in what the young quarterback has accomplished.
Maxx Crosby has high praise for Brock Purdy
“Anybody who gets in that Niners system, people find a way to discredit them just because of how good Kyle Shanahan is, and they’ve always had a lot of talent around him,” Crosby said. “But you’ve seen Brock in his own right make some plays and do certain things that are just system-quarterback-type plays. He’s one of the better young quarterbacks in the league. He’s talented. You see that with how great that offense is able to operate.”
Crosby’s comments are significant because they come from someone who spends his Sundays trying to wreck opposing quarterbacks. He acknowledged the reality that critics often point to Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system and San Francisco’s loaded supporting cast when discussing Purdy. However, Crosby also drew an important distinction. While the system certainly creates opportunities, Purdy has repeatedly shown an ability to make plays that cannot be scripted.
Maxx Crosby thinks Brock Purdy is more than a system QB
Being able to extend a play beyond the pocket, make a tight-window throw or improvise when the original plan collapses, those are all quarterback attributes, not scheme ones. That is what Crosby was referencing when he made comments that Purdy was making plays that do not just fall within what Shanahan designs in the offense.
By calling him “one of the better young quarterbacks in the league,” Crosby recognized that Purdy’s success is not solely a product of his surroundings. Coming from one of the NFL’s premier defensive players, that endorsement may carry more credibility than the opinions of those who continue to dismiss Purdy as merely a system quarterback.
Will Brock Purdy ever get the credit he is due?
The debate surrounding Purdy is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. As long as Purdy plays for pass-friendly teams in the NFL like the 49ers, critics will forever tie his success to Shanahan and the scheme more than the individual. But comments from worthy competitors like Crosby paint another picture.
Defensive players are not exactly incentivized to overpraise an opposing quarterback, which is why the compliment from a perennial All-Pro is so significant. With all due respect to Purdy’s doubters, if he keeps putting up numbers in 2026, it will get tougher and tougher to dismiss remarks like this.
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