For a rookie quarterback who was not expected to contribute to the 49ers this season, Brock Purdy has been, by all accounts, extremely mature.
His performances have been eye-catching, and he’s also displayed a knack for escaping pressure and make off-schedule plays. It all begs the question, why was he drafted last in the 2022 NFL Draft?
Purdy joined KNBR on Tuesday and said he understands where scouts are coming from:
You look at the last two years of my film in college and everything like that, [and] there’s some parts of my game where, yeah, I had to work and improve on. I’m honest and open about that with myself.
But there’s always this part of me where I’ve been like when I’m playing my best football, I know I can play at the next level and take a team down the field and be the guy on the team to help us win and put points up on the board.
So, I’ve always believed in myself, but there were areas of my game that I had to clean up, so that’s something I’m not secretive about or anything. I’m open about it, I’m real with myself.
In order to correct some of those things he mentioned, Purdy put in work this offseason with throwing coach Will Hewlett and physical therapist Tom Gormely, who works closely with Hewlett.
He pointed to that effort as something that made a difference coming into camp.
“I’d say I got right in the offseason down in Florida with guys like Will Hewlett and [Dr. Tom Gormely],” Purdy said. “Those guys definitely helped my game in terms of being an efficient thrower and playmaker and things like that. So when I got to the Niners, it obviously helped me improve my game.
“But I’m not mad at where I fell or anything like that. It’s part of it. I’m just glad I had the opportunity to play for the Niners and have a shot at making it.”
Purdy has a chance to finish the regular season with a perfect 5-0 record as a starter, and has already led the 49ers to five-straight wins following Jimmy Garoppolo’s foot injury.
A win against Arizona would guarantee the 49ers the No. 2 seed, and would give them a chance to jump to the No. 1 seed if the Philadelphia Eagles lose to the New York Giants.
Listen to the full interview below. You can listen to every KNBR interview on our podcast page at knbr.com/podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Catch Murph & Mac weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on KNBR 104.5 / 680 and streaming live on KNBR.com.
