Tag: Brock Purdy

The San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy are now eligible to discuss a long-term contract extension for the first time in his career after their season ended. Though talks haven’t officially started, general manager John Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan, and Purdy have all expressed a desire to come to an agreement soon.

“I think what we know about Brock is that he’s our guy,” Lynch said Wednesday. “We have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time. He’s done so much for our organization; he’s won big games and had a little tougher task as we all did this year with some of the things that happened throughout the course of the year.

We just never could string games where we were all together and through that, he continued to lead, he continued to play at a high level, so we have every interest in him being around.

“We’ll have some time here in the coming weeks to sit together and put our whole plan together. That’s obviously a priority, that position, and we’ll give it that attention.”

“I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I’m here. Brock’s been a stud. He’s a guy I’ve got a lot of confidence in just as a human, but it starts with what he’s done on the field these last two and a half years. We’re capable of winning the Super Bowl with him. He just almost did, and I know he’s capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future,” said Shanahan about Purdy.

Purdy, selected as the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, played under one of the cheapest contracts in the league, earning an average of $934,253 per year on a four-year rookie deal. He has one year left on this contract, which will count $1.119 million against the salary cap in 2025.

That number will likely rise this offseason, as the Niners are ready to pay him closer to the top quarterbacks in the league, though it’s still unclear how much they are willing to offer. The highest-paid quarterback in terms of average annual value right now is Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, at $60 million per year.

Purdy stated on Monday, “I’m not really sure” if topping Prescott’s contract is important to him, but he made it clear he wants to get the deal done quickly so he can be ready when the Niners start their organized team activities in April.

“More than anything for me, I want to be able to handle business the right way and do it in a respectable manner and get back to my team as fast as I can to get going,” Purdy said. “That’s my mindset, my focus. And obviously, I want to help the team across the board with all the other guys who need to get their deals done, but everybody will handle it the right way and how they need to.”

In the 2023 season, Purdy earned Pro Bowl honors and finished fourth in MVP voting. However, his performance in 2024 declined as injuries affected his supporting players.

Despite missing key players like running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, and playing without offensive tackle Trent Williams, tight end George Kittle, and receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. for stretches, Purdy finished seventh in the NFL in QBR (68.0), 10th in passing yards (3,864), and third in yards per attempt (8.5) during his 15 games.

Purdy did struggle in some bad weather games and couldn’t lead fourth-quarter comebacks in some close games as the Niners finished 6-11. His 1.7 touchdowns per interception were tied for 23rd in the NFL, a significant drop from his 2.8 in 2023.

Despite these struggles, Shanahan’s confidence in Purdy has grown, particularly as Purdy assumed a larger leadership role and kept fighting despite the difficult circumstances.

“Brock is the leader of our team,” Shanahan said. “I’ve loved these three years with Brock. I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I’m here. Brock’s been a stud. He’s a guy I’ve got a lot of confidence in just as a human, but it starts with what he’s done on the field these last two and a half years.

We’re capable of winning the Super Bowl with him. He just almost did, and I know he’s capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future.”

Lynch and Shanahan have been going through exit meetings and player evaluations recently, which is why contract talks with Purdy have yet to begin in full. While the 49ers have a history of allowing contract talks to drag into August or even September, as seen with players like Aiyuk and Williams last offseason, the situation with the quarterback is expected to be different.

Purdy’s extension will be a major increase in pay, and it will affect the team’s ability to spend on other players or add to their roster. The 49ers would benefit from finalizing the deal quickly, as other quarterbacks may renegotiate their contracts, changing the market. Additionally, the team would prefer not to miss any spring or training camp time without their starting quarterback.

How quickly a deal might get done is unclear, but Shanahan and Lynch have experience negotiating major quarterback contracts. In 2018, they signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a five-year, $137.5 million deal on February 8.

“I want to be in San Francisco and play my football career here,” Purdy said. “I love it here and I want to do whatever it takes to be here. … I’m not really sure what it all is going to look like or entail, but I know that I’m the guy for this organization and that I can do what it takes to help lead us where we want to go.”

When Brock Purdy, the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, delivered the game-sealing touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk on Thanksgiving night, head coach Kyle Shanahan found himself taken aback. The Seattle Seahawks had their zone coverage focused on Aiyuk during the play, leading Shanahan to believe that the optimal decision for Purdy would be to check down for a shorter gain. Contrary to expectations, Purdy executed a flawless throw, placing the ball precisely into Aiyuk’s hands for a 28-yard touchdown.

Expressing his surprise, Shanahan recalled, “I couldn’t believe he was throwing it. The zone coverage guys were so deep, which usually allows for a check-down right underneath them for about 12 yards. However, Brock thought he could drop it in over the guy, and it was a clear view for all of us—a hell of a throw with perfect touch. He got it over him, and that was the big play that sealed it.”

Shanahan highlighted Purdy’s tendency to take downfield chances when other quarterbacks might opt for a safer checkdown. “He does that pretty consistently; he’s always trying to get that one in. Very rarely does he check it down, and if you tell him he missed the deep one, he looks at it that way. He proved to us that, while the ball was in the air, it was the right direction,” Shanahan explained.

When asked if he initially thought Purdy had made the wrong read at the moment of the throw, Shanahan admitted, “Yeah, we’re all holding our breath as soon as he lets it go because the guy was so deep. But Brock’s got the touch, and he was able to throw it over him. He made the throw, and I wouldn’t have known it until he threw it, but once he threw it, it obviously was there.”

Purdy’s sensational play played a pivotal role in the 49ers’ significant victory, sparking discussions about his potential inclusion in MVP conversations.

Around 30 minutes after making history as the first San Francisco 49ers quarterback to attempt 20 or more passes and achieve a perfect 158.3 passer rating in a single game, Brock Purdy reflected on various thoughts. Initially, he took pride in securing his place in the record books alongside Joe Montana, the sole other Niners starter to attain a perfect rating with at least ten attempts, accomplished back in 1989. However, Purdy clarified that just because the passer rating doesn’t go any higher doesn’t mean he considers it a “perfect” game.

Furthermore, Purdy humbly redirected credit to his teammates and coaches for their contributions to his outstanding performance in San Francisco’s 27-14 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Expressing his gratitude, Purdy stated, “What an honor. But at the same time, I feel like there are still some plays and situations that I wish I could redo. So, I’m not entirely satisfied with just that, but I thought it was a great game with the guys around me, the coaching, and the playcalling – all of it. I think that’s a testament to the team, really.”

When asked about whether passer rating is a metric he and his fellow quarterbacks use to evaluate their play, Purdy responded with a grin, saying, “I still don’t even really know what it means.”

For the Niners, the outcome on Sunday meant securing a second consecutive victory, distancing themselves from the three-game losing streak that marred their October and propelling them to a 7-3 record with a one-game lead in the NFC West division. Purdy, in particular, may have delivered his best performance of the season, a notable achievement in a campaign where such claims have already been made multiple times.

In his 18th career start, almost a year after his inaugural NFL start against the same Bucs, Purdy, and the offense overcame a slow start on their opening drive. Yet, they rarely faltered thereafter, with Purdy completing 21 of 25 passes for 333 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions, culminating in the flawless 158.3 rating.

Purdy’s impact was evenly distributed between the halves but showcased in distinct ways. In the first half, he went 14-of-17 for 164 yards and a touchdown. During the second half, he maintained efficiency, going 7-of-8 for 169 yards and two touchdowns, including a 77-yard touchdown pass to receiver Brandon Aiyuk in the early third quarter.

The majority of Purdy’s production came against the Bucs’ man coverage, where he threw for a career-high 210 yards and all three touchdowns. Notably, Purdy now leads the NFL this season with 16 passing touchdowns against man coverage.

Despite the impressive statistics, Purdy’s teammates have become accustomed to his stellar performances. Defensive end Nick Bosa remarked, “Perfect game? Wow. I’m never surprised anymore with him. He’s as good as it gets.”

In the last two games, Purdy has showcased a return to form reminiscent of the quarterback who propelled the Niners to a 5-0 start earlier in the season. Following a challenging three-game stretch against the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, and Cincinnati Bengals, where Purdy struggled against Cleveland, he rebounded impressively. Between the Jacksonville and Tampa Bay games, Purdy completed 40 of 51 passes, averaging 314.5 passing yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions, boasting an average of 12.3 yards per attempt.

While acknowledging the presence of critics, running back Christian McCaffrey noted, “There’s always going to be critics. He knows that. Everybody in here knows that, and I like it when he plays a little bit edgy with a chip on his shoulder. I kind of hope the critics just keep coming because it pisses him off, and he plays really well.”

Purdy attributes his resurgence to a mindset of being hard on himself, playing with a chip on his shoulder, and understanding that success in the NFL requires constant proving. Coach Kyle Shanahan expressed confidence in Purdy’s abilities, emphasizing that the quarterback was playing “unbelievable” even during the challenging streak.

Ten games into the season, Purdy’s motivation seems to be paying off. As of Sunday’s games, he leads the NFL in QBR (76.6), passer rating (109.9), yards per attempt (9.7), ranks third in completion percentage (70.2%), is tied for fifth in touchdown passes (18), and is sixth in passing yards per game (266.2). Notably, his five interceptions are tied for the second-fewest among starters.

Purdy’s 9.7 yards per attempt through 10 games rank as the second most in NFL history among players with a minimum of 250 attempts, placing him in esteemed company alongside Boomer Esiason in 1988 (9.8), Dan Marino in 1984 (9.7) and Aaron Rodgers in 2011 (9.6), all of whom went on to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

As Purdy continues to field questions about his abilities, perhaps the more fitting question is what he cannot do. Coach Shanahan playfully remarked, “I don’t know if he can run a 4.3 [second 40-yard dash]. But anything we’ve asked him to do, he’s done at a real high level.”

The San Francisco 49ers have officially confirmed that their quarterback, Brock Purdy, has successfully passed the concussion protocol. This announcement was made on a Saturday afternoon.

Niners’ head coach, Kyle Shanahan, expressed his confidence on Friday that Purdy would clear the final stage of the protocol, and he went on to assert that Purdy would undoubtedly start in the upcoming game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Shanahan stated, “To me, that wasn’t a difficult decision considering how he has performed throughout this week. And now, that’s why he’s going to have an opportunity.”

The incident leading to Purdy’s concussion occurred during the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game when he encountered helmet-to-helmet contact from Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jordan Hicks while executing a quarterback sneak. Surprisingly, Purdy managed to finish the game seemingly without any apparent issues despite having two passes intercepted in the final moments, which ultimately contributed to Minnesota’s victory.

However, Purdy began experiencing concussion-related symptoms during the Niners’ flight back home from Minnesota later that Monday evening, leading to his entry into the concussion protocol.

Due to the Monday game, the 49ers had a low-intensity walk-through session on Wednesday, with Purdy participating in some light practice but not being cleared for contact with the defense. On Thursday, Purdy successfully passed more stages of the concussion protocol and was able to engage in practice on a limited basis. By Friday, he was a full participant in practice.

The last hurdle for Purdy’s return was to obtain clearance for full contact from the 49ers’ team physician and to undergo examination by an independent neurological consultant, who needed to confirm that Purdy’s concussion had resolved, allowing him to play. This final clearance was granted on Saturday, paving the way for Purdy’s return to the field.

Throughout the initial seven weeks of the season, Purdy had started every game for the 49ers following his return from a March surgery to address a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Notably, he holds the third-highest Quarterback Rating (QBR) in the NFL at 75.7 and has thrown 11 touchdowns with just three interceptions leading into Week 8.