Brock Purdy’s rise in San Francisco has always been about more than arm talent or box-score numbers. What stands out most is the way he approaches the job, and that mentality is a big reason the 49ers believe he keeps leveling up.
Kyle Shanahan does not hand out compliments lightly, especially in a press conference setting. So when he called this Purdy’s best training camp yet, it carried real weight. Purdy entered his fifth camp with a clear purpose, and he looked like a quarterback determined to clean up the details that can separate good from great.
This week, Purdy laid out exactly what he focused on. He said he went back through the film with quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi and studied where he was a year ago.
"Yeah, I think I went back and just watched the film with [quarterbacks coach] Mick Lombardi and where I was at last year,"
"And it's like, if I'm hanging on a guy in a progression, how can I find an outlet or a checkdown and stay ahead of the chains and ahead of the downs? It's okay to be in third-and-medium rather than forcing a ball and being third-and-long and stuff like that.
"So, obviously yeah we know our looks when we have opportunities to make big plays, but playing quarterback is dishing it out and staying ahead of the chains and taking completions when the defense is giving it to you.
"So, I feel like I've had to learn sort of the hard way throughout my career so far on some experiences and some scars, but I feel like you've got to learn and make improvements and make change.
"That's what I did this offseason, I feel like. So, hopefully I can keep that up."
That approach has shown up early this season. Through the first two games against the Los Angeles Rams and the Miami Dolphins, Purdy has completed 80.4% of his passes for 492 yards, five touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and just one interception, while being sacked zero times. The interception came on a throw that went straight into the hands of a wide-open Rams defender.
The bigger picture is simple: when Purdy takes the easy completion, the offense keeps rolling. That kind of efficiency is earning him more attention around the league, and it’s not hard to see why.
Still, the most important part may be what it says about him as a quarterback. Purdy’s willingness to learn, adjust and sharpen the finer points of his game is exactly the kind of trait San Francisco wants at the position.
He already has the tools to lead the 49ers toward a Super Bowl. Now he’s showing the discipline to keep pushing his game higher.
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