​Brock Purdy distinguished himself in 2025 by avoiding sacks at a rate that far outpaced every other qualified quarterback in the NFL, a claim that data later confirmed. A Nutshell Sports chart, built on nflfastR data, shows Purdy as the lowest among 40 qualifying passers (those with at least 200 dropbacks) in total EPA lost to sacks. He relinquished just 21.49 points of expected points added due to sacks across 11 sacks all season. Those figures represent the smallest totals on the list, placing Purdy in a category of his own when it comes to safeguarding the football and staying upright in the pocket.
For contrast, the league’s sack-evading leaders were the Tennessee Titans’ Cam Ward, who led the league with 120.34 EPA lost to sacks on 55 sacks, and Geno Smith of the Las Vegas Raiders, who registered 101.71 EPA lost on the same number of sacks. Purdy’s EPA lost to sacks was more than five times lower than the next-closest passer, Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons, who logged 22.84 EPA lost on 13 sacks.
Purdy’s 49ers teammate Mac Jones also found himself near the bottom of the chart, recording 30.09 EPA lost to sacks across 16 takedowns, the third-lowest total in the sample. The 49ers’ combined offensive line and quarterback room thus ranked among the stingiest in allowing costly pressure. The small sack totals came despite Purdy playing only nine games and making nine starts in 2025. He completed 197 of 284 passes, a 69.4% completion rate, and threw for 2,126 intended air yards, while adding 849 yards after the catch. His on-target rate was 82.2%, the best mark in the sample, signaling that Purdy was getting the ball out accurately and quickly rather than hanging onto it and absorbing hits.
For a 49ers offense that has endured injuries and shuffles at personnel in recent years, keeping the quarterback clean actually matters a great deal. Each avoided sack preserves EPA, and Purdy’s ability to process quickly and release the ball limited San Francisco’s exposure to negative plays. When paired with Jones’ similarly low totals in relief duty, the 49ers’ quarterback room proved to be one of the least turnover- and sack-prone ensembles in the league in 2025, even after accounting for games missed.
This analysis originally appeared on Niners Wire: How Brock Purdy’s low sack totals paid off in 2025 for better SEO.