Brock Purdy rose from “Mr. Irrelevant” to become the starting quarterback for the NFC champions, earning the trust and faith of his head coach in the process.
At this week’s annual league meetings, NFL Network’s Steve Wyche sat down with San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to discuss, among other things, Purdy’s progress in his first two seasons.
While most of the quarterbacks taken before Purdy in the 2022 NFL Draft have either been benched, traded or released, the former Iowa State star has been a steady performer.
“He’s been unbelievable,” Shanahan said of Purdy to Wyche. “He’s done it week in and week out. He’s come back from a really tough injury in his first year. Had a hell of a year this year. Really hasn’t had an offseason yet with us… I’m pumped to coach him.”
Purdy, who recently married his longtime girlfriend Jenna Brandt, is now San Francisco’s unquestioned starter after spending much of last offseason recovering from elbow surgery.
“It’s a nice feeling, I know that — having stability at that position,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said at this year’s NFL Combine. “People forget last year was Brock’s first full year as a starter. So I think that leaves you feeling pretty good about his opportunity with what we’ve already seen in his couple of years. In particular, last year, the first full year as a starter coming off the injury, we’re past that. It just gives you a lot of confidence going in.
“Now, it’s like kind of building around him. It gives you a foundation to build off of and that is a really good feeling, a settling feeling.”
After losing in the NFC Championship Game in 2022 and falling in the Super Bowl this past season, Purdy and the 49ers have one more mountain to climb in order to reach the summit of the NFL.
We’ll see if they can get there next season.