Nick Wright knows a great take when he sees one, and he got in early going against San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks in Kyle Shanahan offenses. But as he watched MVP buzz build around Brock Purdy this season and more respected analysts picking San Francisco for a deep playoff run, Wright is trying to save NFL pundits from themselves.
In an interview on This Is Football released Wednesday, Wright explained why if he could kill off one NFL take, it would be the love that was showered on Purdy and Jimmy Garoppolo over the years.
“It makes us all dumber,” Wright said. “The lack of self-awareness from some of my colleagues who were dying on this hill for Jimmy Garoppolo and then are like, ‘No, no, no, it’s so much different [with Purdy].'”
Wright mocked NFL take artists who want to proclaim Purdy superior to Garoppolo because Purdy’s “anticipatory throws” are slightly better. That’s just not going to cut it for the First Things First host and sports media’s prince of the take.
But the more he laughed in the face of 49ers supporters and Shanahan disciples, the more Wright came to appreciate what he still has to gain being on the right side of history.
“I take it back,” Wright told TIF host Kevin Clark. “I enjoy that conversation, now that I think about it. Because I know that I can be vindicated on it.”
The Purdy MVP case was certainly fruitful for sports media personalities all season. Outlets from SF Gate to Fox Sports 1 to Cam Newton’s YouTube channel had a field day with the debate.
But Wright is ready for it to die as soon as possible.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.