Former NFL MVP award winner Rich Gannon has had enough of the constant criticism that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has received as of late.

Purdy’s second season with the 49ers garnered mixed reviews. He filled up the stat sheet on a regular basis during the season. Still, some, such as former NFL quarterback Cam Newton, have attempted to downplay his recent success by labeling him as a "game manager."

Gannon has taken notice of such talk regarding Purdy’s 2023 campaign, and he is in disbelief that many continue to "hate" the second-year passer.

"It's not a skills competition, it's an NFL game," Gannon said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "Now, all he has shown me in the last year and a half, is that this guy can play the NFL game at a high level. … He's off to an amazing start, he's done a lot of really good things for the 49ers, took them to an NFC Championship Game a year ago and to a Super Bowl this year.

"Let's take a deep breath, let's give the guy a chance to mature and develop. Let's see what he can do rather than hate on the guy."

Purdy's standout 2023 season

Purdy has not let such outside criticism faze his play. He led back-to-back game-winning drives against the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions in the playoffs. While he did not put together a performance for the ages in Super Bowl 58, he did anchor five scoring drives against the Kansas City Chiefs’ top-five ranked defense.

All eyes now turn to Purdy’s much-anticipated third season with the 49ers.

Christian McCaffrey issues strong defense of 49ers QB Brock Purdy’s 2023 season

More teammates come to Purdy’s defense.