In this thought-provoking episode of Saturday vs Sunday, John Barban takes on the polarizing topic of what truly defines a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback, using none other than Brock Purdy as the lightning rod for debate.After receiving pushback on a previous comment suggesting that Purdy — having reached the Super Bowl and pushed Patrick Mahomes to overtime — must qualify as a Super Bowl-level QB, John steps back to ask a deeper question: What does “Super Bowl caliber” even mean anymore?The episode begins with a breakdown of the Purdy criticism — that he’s simply a “system QB” riding the coattails of a stacked San Francisco roster. But John challenges that narrative by pointing out that every great quarterback, from Montana to Aikman to Brady, benefited from elite weapons and defenses. He asks: If being surrounded by talent disqualifies someone from being “elite,” then who does make the cut?John walks through case studies of quarterbacks who won Super Bowls — Nick Foles, Joe Flacco, Trent Dilfer — and asks why they’re dismissed despite actually reaching the pinnacle. Conversely, he brings up QBs like Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, who haven’t won it all but are almost universally accepted as “Super Bowl caliber.” Why the double standard?He also explores the fan psychology behind this label. Is it about talent? Longevity? Perception? Or is it about believing your QB can get you there multiple times, the way Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Peyton Manning have?From Jared Goff and Matt Stafford to Jalen Hurts and Russell Wilson, John dissects who gets credit and who doesn’t — and why Purdy remains on the outside of that elite tier in public perception, despite a résumé that many QBs would envy.As John riffs, he realizes this might be about fandom identity more than stats. People don’t want to believe their team’s shot at a Super Bowl is a one-time fluke like Foles or Dilfer — they want the guy. A Mahomes. A Brady. A 10-year window of championship potential.John’s takeaway? The “Super Bowl QB” label might be less about what a player has done and more about what fans believe he can do — and that belief often has little to do with logic.This episode is a smart, skeptical, and sometimes hilarious breakdown of how we judge quarterbacks, and why even making the Super Bowl might not be enough for fans, pundits, and front offices. If you’ve got strong feelings about Purdy — or want to test your own QB bias — this is your episode.

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