Peter King: 49ers' Brock Purdy 'Leader in the MVP Clubhouse' After Win vs. Cowboys

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy might go from Mr. Irrelevant to Most Valuable Player in the space of two years.

NBC Sports' Peter King argued Monday in his weekly column that Purdy is "the leader in the MVP clubhouse" with one month of the 2023 NFL season in the books.

As a rookie, much of Purdy's success was getting framed within the context of his draft position. He was playing incredibly well for a seventh-round pick who was the last overall selection.

Now, the 23-year-old is garnering praise without qualifiers and proving he wasn't simply a flash in the pan.

Through five games, he has thrown for 1,271 yards, nine touchdowns and zero interceptions. His 83.7 QBR ranks first in the league, per ESPN.com.

Purdy went 17-of-24 for 252 yards and four TDs in Sunday's 42-10 demolition of the Dallas Cowboys, which was his best performance yet.

Some will push back on King's assertion that Purdy is the MVP front-runner, but he's unquestionably a contender.

Laying out his case, King pointed to the extent to which quarterbacks have dominated the award and how voters often look to a QB from one of the best teams.

The 49ers are one of two teams off to a 5-0 start, and Sunday's victory provided a compelling case to rank them ahead of the equally perfect Philadelphia Eagles. Should San Francisco go on to claim the NFC's top seed, it will only bolster Purdy's MVP candidacy.