Who is the most efficient passer in NFL history? Right now, it’s San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

Purdy crossed the 1,500 career pass attempts mark against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. That officially put him on the NFL’s all-time passer rating leaderboard, and he didn’t just land on the list. He landed at No. 1.

Purdy’s career passer rating sits at 105.6. That’s nearly three points higher than Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is second at 102.7.

Brock Purdy leads a loaded list of NFL quarterbacks

Look at the names Purdy passed to get there. Baltimore’s Jackson is second. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sits third, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is fourth, and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes rounds out the top five.

That’s a group full of MVP trophies, Super Bowl rings, and future Hall of Fame resumes. And the guy at the top of it was the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Purdy hasn’t slowed down, either. He’s been absolutely incredible this season, and he’s right near the top of the list of MVP leaders. He’s playing the best football we’ve ever seen from him, and the numbers back it up.

From Mr. Irrelevant to the top of the record books

This milestone says a lot about two things.

The first is Purdy himself. He was Mr. Irrelevant, the last name called in the 2022 draft. Nobody expected him to become a starter, let alone one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The work he’s put in to get from that pick to this point is phenomenal. It’s been fun to watch him grow and succeed at every step.

The second is the 49ers organization. General manager John Lynch took a chance on Purdy at the end of that 2022 draft, and that gamble paid off in a massive way. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan deserves his share of the credit, too. Shanahan helped develop Purdy into the quarterback he is today, and he built an offense that lets him thrive.

Now, the critics will point to the supporting cast. Purdy has had a great one during his time in the NFL. He’s thrown to guys like Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and now Mike Evans. You could go down the list.

This season proves Purdy is the real deal

But this season has been different, and that’s what makes this so impressive.

Purdy has dealt with a ton of injuries around him at the pass catcher spots. Christian Kirk, De’Zhaun Stribling, and Deebo Samuel have all missed time. The 49ers haven’t had their full arsenal on the field, and Purdy has still made it happen.

That should put the “system quarterback” talk to bed for good. A quarterback who only wins because of his weapons doesn’t play his best football when those weapons are on the sideline. Purdy has done exactly that.

Make no mistake, this isn’t a fluke or a hot streak. It’s a 1,500-attempt body of work that puts him ahead of Jackson, Rodgers, Burrow, and Mahomes.

I think the MVP conversation is going to run straight through San Francisco the rest of the way. If Purdy keeps playing at this level, he won’t just hold onto that No. 1 spot. The last pick in the 2022 draft could end up as the best quarterback in the league.

None of us may have had any clue at the time, but the 49ers struck gold when they drafted Brock Purdy.