This offseason marked a significant change for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. In 2022, he was a seventh-round pick striving to earn a spot on the team, and he had just recovered from a serious elbow surgery that had sidelined him during OTAs the previous year. Within months, he stepped into the starting quarterback role and has held onto it ever since.
Therefore, heading into this season as a recognized starter without any health concerns was a refreshing and positive experience for him.
The previous offseason played a vital role in Purdy's growth and development. However, it was also a challenging time as he was recuperating from surgery to mend a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. Purdy wasn't able to throw to his teammates until training camp, leading to some uncertainty about his effectiveness following such a major injury.
Brock Purdy is prepared for greater success
During the 49ers' “State of the Franchise” event on Monday, Purdy expressed his belief that the experience has prepared him for greater success in his third NFL season.
“We got all the way to the end. We’re right there and weren’t able to finish it,” Purdy said, via 49ersWebzone.com.
“So for me, I had that taste in my mouth, and then get back into the gym, start slowly, working into it. And then here, in OTAs, getting with [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and going over all the games that we played in, every play, and going over situational football and stuff, and taking that and actually going out on the field and running things and repping things, and throwing to the receivers.”
“Last year, I didn't have that, so now that I'm able to attack those kinds of things, I feel like I've gotten better,” Purdy continued.
Underpaid excellence
In his first complete season as a starter, Purdy shattered the 49ers' single-season passing yards record with 4,280, secured fourth place in MVP voting, and topped the NFL charts in touchdown rate, yards per attempt, passer rating, and QBR.
Drafted in 2022, Brock Purdy is currently in the penultimate year of his four-year, $3.7 million rookie deal. He is earning less than $1 million annually.
Of the top 10 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, only three have reached at least one Super Bowl in their career. These players are Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, and Patrick Mahomes.
The 49ers struck gold with Purdy. It's uncommon to discover a franchise quarterback who places team success ahead of personal achievements.
It's quite surprising that Purdy doesn't even make the top 100 highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. Some quarterbacks who haven't seen any action in the 2023-24 season are ranked higher than him in terms of earnings. Trey Lance, Carson Wentz, Case Keenum, and Easton Stick, for example, all earn more than Purdy according to Over The Cap's data.
Kyle Shanahan's praise for Brock Purdy
At the same event, Kyle Shanahan discussed his third-year quarterback, expressing his admiration not only for Purdy's on-field performance but also for his character.
49ers head coach Shanahan mentioned that Brock is a genuinely authentic individual. He appreciates Brock's strong character, clear life goals, and dedication to his job and craft. “So, whatever Brock goes through, he gets stronger, good or bad,” Shanahan said.
Purdy and his teammates are currently enjoying a break. They will regroup with the 49ers at the end of July for training camp, gearing up to tackle the demands of the regular season and aiming to clinch a championship.
The 49ers have reached two Super Bowls and two NFC Championship Games in the last five seasons, and they are primed for similar success in 2024. A stronger performance from Purdy could potentially be the catalyst that propels them to even greater heights.
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