Jim Cason

Brock Purdy's lighting up scoreboards with surgical precision, while Jim Cason barely threw—mostly a halfback-safety who filled in once at QB for the '54 Niners, going 7-of-13 for 53.8 rating when Y.A. Tittle busted his hand. Purdy's in the spotlight; Cason's a gritty footnote, like comparing a Ferrari to a reliable old pickup.

Nah, Jim Cason never made it to Canton—no bust waiting for the Hall's marble halls. A two-time Pro Bowler as a defensive back and halfback for the 49ers, he started one QB game in '54 but spent his career picking off passes, not polishing trophies worthy of enshrinement.

Cason's old-school grit—34 picks as a DB, some halfback dashes—might snag a nickel corner gig today, but modern pass-happy rules with no helmet-to-helmet leniency would've exposed his limited arm from that one '54 start. He'd adapt like Dick Lane reborn, thriving in coverage over QB dreams.

Montana's the maestro with a gaudy 85.15 rating, dissecting defenses like a surgeon; Cason's 53.3 passer rating from 15 NFL attempts screams emergency fill-in, not franchise savior—think Joe as Picasso, Jim as the guy who held the brush once for the 49ers in '54.