Brock Purdy stayed on the field after a recent practice to work on his throws while moving, aiming to improve his accuracy and timing.
Although this might have looked simple, it highlights why the San Francisco 49ers think Purdy can build on his impressive second NFL season. This year, he had a healthy offseason and didn’t need to limit his throws because of surgery on his right elbow.
Quarterbacks coach Brian Griese mentioned how different this training camp is for Purdy compared to last year. “Last year, we were just hoping he would stay healthy, and we had limits on how many throws he could make. We had a set number of throws each period, including warmups.
It’s great this year to not have those restrictions. We can push a little more in practice, work on specific things, and let him throw on the move after practice. It’s a big change.”
Purdy is making the most of being fully healthy. He’s participating in every practice this summer, unlike last year when he needed regular breaks. He used the offseason to focus on smaller aspects of his game without rehab, gaining strength and working on his throwing mechanics using 3D motion capture technology.
This improved arm strength is showing in training camp, where he’s connecting on more deep passes and throws to the sidelines. However, this has also led to more interceptions in practice, including seven in just two days last week.
Purdy acknowledged he doesn’t like throwing interceptions but uses practice to experiment with throws he wouldn’t try during the season.
“Now is the time to test out different throws and coverages,” he said. “I still need to improve and am hard on myself, but this is the time to work on it.”
In his second NFL season, Purdy surpassed all expectations. He set a team record with 4,280 passing yards, became the first 49ers quarterback in over 20 years to throw at least 30 touchdown passes (31), and led the league in passer rating (113) and yards per attempt (9.6).
He finished fourth in MVP voting and led three crucial drives in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Super Bowl, where the 49ers eventually lost to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
However, one play continued to trouble him during the offseason. It was a late throw in regulation against the Chiefs when his pass to Jauan Jennings was tipped by a defender, even though Brandon Aiyuk was open. This error led to a field goal instead of a potential touchdown and allowed Kansas City to score the tying points and win in overtime.
“It’s those plays and those moments that’s situational football,” Purdy said. “That’s where I can grow. So that’s what I mean by like, there’s certain plays like that where I’m like, ‘dang.’”
Another area Purdy is working on is becoming a more vocal leader. After joining the team as a seventh-round rookie in 2022 and focusing on recovery last season, Purdy is now a proven star.
This growth has helped him move from being a bit shy about calling out teammates to taking charge in the huddle, something quarterbacks coach Brian Griese has encouraged all offseason.
“Brock’s a reserved guy, which I think the team appreciates about him. But then there’s also times where you need to push the issue a little bit,” Griese said.
“You need to be accountable to yourself, but also hold others accountable during the course of an individual period, a practice, a game, a low point in the season where you lose back-to-back games.
That’s a skill that you need as a leader of a team. For a young quarterback, sometimes that’s difficult. Now, Brock in his third year has not only the experience, but also, the positivity and the results to warrant that a little bit more.
Guys look to him. He has been a leader, despite the fact that he is not always the most vocal.”
