Brock Purdy Reflects on 49ers' Season at Bay Area Flag Football Event
SAN FRANCISCO - Just days removed from the sting of elimination, Brock Purdy was back in the spotlight - not under the bright lights of Levi’s Stadium, but beneath the glow of the Toyota Glow-Up Classic, a flag football showcase featuring some of the Bay Area’s top high school girls. Purdy wasn’t throwing passes this time. He was coaching, encouraging, and smiling - even as the reality of what could’ve been still lingered.
The 49ers’ season ended in a gut-punch of a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, a 41-6 defeat that closed the door on a Super Bowl dream that felt within reach for much of the year. And now, with Super Bowl 60 set to kick off at Levi’s Stadium - his team’s home turf - Purdy is left to watch from the sidelines.
“I mean, obviously, we all wanted that to be us,” Purdy said Wednesday night at the Moscone Center. “That was the goal from the beginning of the season.
We fell short of that. So, I mean, it is what it is.
That’s how football operates. That’s the NFL.
We’ve got to learn from it, regroup and be ready to attack next year.”
It was Purdy’s first public appearance since the team cleared out its lockers. The 49ers wrapped the year at 13-6, including the playoffs - a record that, on paper, looks strong.
But context matters. San Francisco was one of the most banged-up teams in football by season’s end.
They were without key defensive anchors like Fred Warner and Nick Bosa at times, and top wideout Brandon Aiyuk missed crucial stretches.
“With the injuries we were dealt with, the situation and everything, like, yeah, it was tough,” Purdy said. “But I’m really proud of a bunch of guys stepping up.
Young guys, older guys, you name it. Having new guys come in like Eric Kendricks late in the year.
For us to be able to win the way we did as a team was pretty special. But the ultimate goal is to win the whole thing, and we’ve got work to do.”
Purdy’s own season had its challenges. A turf toe injury sidelined him for four games, though he confirmed he won’t need surgery during the offseason.
Instead, his focus now shifts to family. His daughter, born during training camp, will be getting plenty of dad time in the coming weeks.
“It was a pretty hectic year with football, but then our little girl growing, so we’re gonna do a lot of family time, which is going to be a lot of fun,” he said. He even joked about hitting the pickleball or basketball court during his downtime - a small breather before the grind begins again.
The Glow-Up Classic wasn’t just a community event - it was a gathering of NFL talent. Former Giants quarterback Eli Manning served as referee and didn’t miss a chance to poke fun at Purdy’s competitive fire.
“I’ve heard Brock likes to chirp a little bit at the refs,” Manning said with a grin. “If he gets a little chirpy, I’m not going to hesitate to eject him.”
But Manning also tipped his cap to the 49ers’ season.
“Obviously they had a lot of injuries and a lot going on, but offensively they played well,” Manning said. “You lose Kittle, you lose your receivers, but they found a way to win games. I thought (Purdy) had one of the better seasons that he’s had and had a great shot to make a run.”
Joining Purdy on the sidelines were fellow NFL players turned honorary coaches: Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Packers quarterback Jordan Love, Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, and Colts wideout Michael Pittman Jr. Nacua’s own playoff run also ended at the hands of Seattle, just a week after San Francisco’s exit. But there wasn’t much time for shared lament.
“Honestly,” Nacua said, “I think we were all talking about the glow-up shirts we had on.”
For Purdy, the event offered a moment to step away from the whirlwind of a long NFL season - one filled with adversity, growth, and the kind of hard-earned experience that tends to pay off down the road. The disappointment of falling short is real, but so is the foundation being built.
The work resumes soon enough. For now, it’s glow-up time - both on the field and off.