Brock Purdy Heads Into Seattle With Poise, Purpose, and a Point to Prove
SANTA CLARA - The 49ers are heading into one of the NFL’s most hostile environments this weekend, and they’re bringing a quarterback who’s built for the noise - both literal and figurative. Brock Purdy, calm as ever, is once again leading San Francisco into battle at Lumen Field, where he threw his first two interceptions of the season - and still walked out with a win.
That’s the thing about Purdy. Mistakes don’t shake him.
Pressure doesn’t faze him. The moment never seems too big.
And as head coach Kyle Shanahan pointed out this week, that steadiness is exactly what gives the 49ers confidence heading into Saturday’s divisional showdown.
“I think the big thing is that Brock doesn’t get rattled,” Shanahan said Thursday. “You can be as loud as you want - they’re probably not going to hear you there, especially if you’re in the gun.
And we know they’ll be that much louder this week. But nothing really rattles Brock.
He stays the same.”
That consistency has become a hallmark of Purdy’s game. Whether it’s a blowout win or a gut-punch loss, he shows up to the podium with the same even keel. That mental toughness was on full display in last week’s wild-card win in Philadelphia, when Purdy threw a late interception that nearly flipped the game - only to bounce back with a poised, surgical drive that helped seal the victory.
“That’s what I thought was so impressive,” Shanahan said. “Having that interception with like eight minutes to go, we lose the lead, and the way he came back and played the next drive after that - that’s the perfect example.
You can kind of see people’s character, what type of people they are, on the silent tape. And a guy who can act like that on that silent tape describes exactly the type of dude he is.”
That “silent tape” - the behind-the-scenes footage coaches use to evaluate body language and decision-making - tells a story of a quarterback who doesn’t flinch. And that’s exactly the kind of presence you want when you’re walking into a stadium like Lumen Field, where the decibel levels are high and the margin for error is razor-thin.
Purdy knows what he’s walking into. He’s been there before. And even though that Week 1 trip to Seattle included two turnovers, it didn’t rattle him then - and it certainly isn’t now.
“Yeah, it’s one of the hardest places to play when it comes to the environment and the fans,” Purdy said. “Every down matters.
You have to be on point with everything - your communication, the operation - because it all adds up. But when you’re on top of it and you can execute on the road, it can feel really good when you do your job at a high level.
So, tough place to play, but it’s worth it if you’re on top of your stuff.”
That’s the 49ers’ formula heading into Saturday: start fast, quiet the crowd, and let Purdy settle into a rhythm. That’s easier said than done, especially considering the offense only managed three points in their last meeting with the Seahawks just two weeks ago. But this time, there’s a key difference - All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams is back in the mix, and his presence could be a game-changer for the run game and overall offensive flow.
Still, the odds are stacked against San Francisco. The Seahawks, as the NFC’s No. 1 seed, are the clear favorites.
But don’t expect that to shake Purdy either. In fact, it’s just more fuel for the fire.
“It’s almost this mentality of like everybody’s out against us and we’ve got to defend ourselves and fight,” Purdy said. “I don’t know.
It’s been a thing that I sort of have learned that as I’ve played, I really do like it. I know a lot of guys in the locker room do.”
That underdog edge - that chip on the shoulder - is something Purdy and his teammates are embracing. It’s not about proving people wrong as much as it is about proving themselves right. And for a quarterback who’s already shown he can handle the noise, the pressure, and the spotlight, Saturday is just another chance to go out and do what he does best.
“If you’re in the NFL as a competitor, you’re going to love that challenge,” Purdy said. “But at the end of the day, like I said, you’ve got to go execute every single play, every single down, and then look up at the end and see what happens.”
Whatever happens in Seattle, one thing’s for sure: Brock Purdy won’t be rattled.