Where has Brock Purdy grown through his third season in the NFL?
When it comes to player development, the San Francisco 49ers have seen a significant amount of growth from quarterback Brock Purdy, so much so that many are starting to suggest that the third-year-pro will demand one of the richest contracts in NFL history this offseason.
Purdy, a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is in his second year as a full-time starter and the 49ers haven’t seen the results they desire, specifically on the offensive side of the ball.
While they’ve been able to move the ball well, according to various metrics, the 49ers have struggled to finish out games and be consistent through four quarters, leading to times where the team has eclipsed the 30-point mark and others where they’ve struggled to crack the 20-point mark.
How has Purdy contributed to the offense in Year 3 and where could he improve more as a quarterback?
When it comes to the quarterback’s play style, there has been an evolvement in Purdy’s game in 2024, as the third-year pro has looked to utilize his legs more often as a scrambler, helping extend plays for the 49ers.
Through 10 games, Purdy is already up to 51 rushes, well beyond his 39 from a season ago over 16 games, and he’s had eight straight games with at least four rushes, including Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
It’s clear: when an avenue to take off is there and Purdy doesn’t like what he sees on the field, the quarterback is willing to use his legs to churn out yardage for the team. And often, that has given the 49ers an extra gear this season when it comes to extending drives for the offense.
Purdy’s escapability has been important because the standard of receiver play has dropped for San Francisco this season. Top wideout Brandon Aiyuk had a slow start to the season and then tore his ACL, ruling him out for the remainder of the year.
That has led to Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings being the lead options, but both have dealt with injuries at times this year, prompting the 49ers to trot out a variety of different receivers on gameday to work with Purdy.
As a result, there’s been a difference in trust, as Purdy hasn’t ripped off throws on reads that seem open at a consistent enough rate, instead looking upon himself to make a play for the offense. That speaks to both his increased trust in being a scrambler, as well as his decreased trust in his pass-catchers, and that was even seen this weekend against Seattle.
At times, it feels like Purdy can get out of structure too much, even though that aspect has been the extra element to the 49ers offense this year. But, until there’s more consistent receiver play or at least a more balanced approach that involves players such as rookie Ricky Pearsall more, I’m not sure there’ll be much of a change in the offense.
Purdy has evolved the 49ers offense to a different degree with his escapability. That has improved the ceiling of the offense, but has also come with the cost of missing out on some in-structure plays at times. Will that change over the second half of the season?