Thursday's primetime matchup with the Giants marked only the eighth regular-season start of Brock Purdy's career with the 49ers.

However, Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez has seen enough to make an extremely bold proclamation about Purdy.

Purdy has enjoyed a remarkable rise since being selected as the last pick in the 2022 draft, and Gonzalez expects his ascent to take him to tremendous heights.

Speaking on Prime Video's pregame show ahead of the Niners' Week home opener, Gonzalez said: "I think this guy is better than most quarterbacks in this league.

"In the next two years he will be to me a top-five quarterback in this league. Mark it, right now."

Having helped the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game in hist first season and won each of his first seven regular-season starts, Purdy certainly appears to be on his path to greatness.

But becoming a top-five quarterback would see him rise to the level of the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, so Gonzalez's remarks about a quarterback still very much in the infancy of his career are sure to raise plenty of eyebrows.

Still, with Kyle Shanahan calling the plays and the talent Purdy has around him on both sides of the ball, the Niners quarterback has everything he needs to continue to make strides. Whether those strides match Gonzalez's expectations is another matter.

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