49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had a very different offseason this year.
He was a seventh-round pick trying to make the team in 2022 and he was coming off serious elbow surgery that kept him from doing on-field work during OTAs last year, so being an established starter with no health limitations was a new experience for him. While at the 49ers’ “State of the Franchise” event on Monday, Purdy said that he believes the experience has positioned him for more success during 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.”
The 49ers have gone to two Super Bowls and two NFC Championship Games in the last five seasons and they remain positioned for the same kind of success in 2024. A better Purdy may wind up being the thing that pushes them over the top.