How well is San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy playing right now in his team's 4-0 start to the 2026 season? He's on such a tear that he created his own statistical club. Purdy is the only quarterback in NFL history to start 4-0 with one or fewer sacks, fumbles or interceptions combined, according to CBS Sports Research.
Purdy leads the NFL in passer rating (126.2), passing success rate (61.9%) and expected points added (EPA) per dropback (0.53) while co-leading the league in passing touchdowns (11). Purdy's per dropback of 0.53 is the second-highest through four games in the 21st century, behind only Tom Brady's 0.59 per dropback in New England's 16-0 2007 regular season. He's also been accurate, ranking fifth in the NFL in completion percentage (69.9%).
However, he'll now be tested by the best of the best in Week 5 when playing at Lumen Field against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. San Francisco leads the NFL in yards per play this season (6.8), but Seattle leads the NFL in yards per play allowed (4.0). In each of the last two showdowns, the Seahawks' defense had the edge over the 49ers' offense.
In Week 18 of the 2025 season, with the NFC West title and the conference's No. 1 seed on the line, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and his "Dark Side" defense threw 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, Purdy, and their offense in a body bag in a 13-3 win. That marked San Francisco's fewest points scored in a game since Week 1 of the 2017 season, Shanahan's first game as the 49ers' head coach. The last meeting occurred in January in the NFC divisional round at Lumen Field.
Seattle dropped the hammer on San Francisco in a 41-6 victory that began with Rashid Shaheed taking the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. That 35-point margin of victory tied the record for the most lopsided Seahawks playoff win in team history. Sunday is another battle — likely one of the best of the weekend.
Seattle's current "Dark Side" defense under Macdonald is on pace to have a profile similar to their "Legion of Boom" predecessors from the 2010's if they remain on this pace. The Seahawks defense has surrendered the fifth-fewest points per game (18.3), the fewest total yards per game (246.8), the fewest yards per play (4.0) and the fewest passing yards per game (144.8) while tied for the most interceptions (6) in 2026. At the moment, they are on pace to become the first team since the 2013-2014 Seahawks to lead the NFL in total defense in consecutive seasons.
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