Brock Purdy stayed on the field after a recent practice to get some extra work in. He threw on the run in hopes of improving his accuracy and timing in that aspect of his game.
The task may have seemed a bit tedious at first, but it’s one reason why the San Francisco 49ers believe Purdy can continue his spectacular sophomore season in the NFL thanks to a healthy offseason that didn’t limit his throwing with his surgically repaired right elbow.
“It’s completely different,” quarterbacks coach Brian Griese said Monday of this training camp for Purdy. “Last year, I was just hoping he was healthy and we did what we could. We did a pitch count. So every period, we had a certain number of throws, including warmups. It’s so nice not to have that issue this year. Number one, if we need to push it a little bit in practice to work on something or get five extra reps after a period, during a special teams period, we can do that. After practice, he can go out there and throw while he’s moving. It’s completely different.”
Purdy is taking full advantage of his good health. He was able to participate in every practice this summer after taking regular days off last year. He also had time to work on smaller aspects of his job during the off-season when he wasn’t in rehab.
He bulked up a bit in hopes of building a stronger base in the pocket and spent more time on his mechanics, working with his private coach to use 3D motion capture technology to add velocity to his throws.
The improved arm strength was evident during training camp, where Purdy did a nice job of making more deep throws and outside-the-numbers throws.
Those throws have included a few more interceptions than usual during practice — including seven in a two-day span last week. Purdy said he never likes to throw interceptions, even in practice, but sometimes he tries to make throws there that he wouldn’t attempt during the season.
“Now it’s time to try some things out in terms of throwing some windows and some tight coverages and what not,” he said. “But you know, I still have to grow. I still have to get better and I’m hard on myself. But now is the time to do it.”
Purdy’s sophomore NFL season exceeded all expectations: he set a franchise record for yards passing (4,280), became the first Niners QB in more than two decades to throw at least 30 TD passes (31) and led the league in both passer rating (113) and yards per attempt (9.6).
He finished fourth in the MVP voting and led three go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Super Bowl, which the 49ers ultimately lost to Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City.
But there’s one play that still haunts him in the offseason. It came late in regulation against the Chiefs, when his third-down throw to Jauan Jennings was tipped off a blitz at the line with Brandon Aiyuk open on the play. That forced the 49ers to settle for a field goal and gave Kansas City time to drive for the tying score before winning in OT.
“It’s those plays and those moments that are situational football,” he said. “That’s where I can grow. So that’s what I mean by, there’s certain plays like that where I’m like, ‘Damn.'”
Another area of ​​growth Purdy is pursuing is becoming a more vocal leader. After stepping into a veteran lineup as a seventh-round rookie in 2022 and simply trying to get healthy last season, Purdy is now established as a proven star.
That has helped him develop from a player who was sometimes reluctant to call out his teammates to someone who takes charge of the huddle, a development Griese has been pushing for all offseason.
“Brock is a reserved guy, which I think the team appreciates. But there are times when you have to push the issue a little bit,” Griese said. “You have to be accountable for yourself, but you also have to hold others accountable during an individual period, a practice, a game, a low point in the season where you lose two games in a row. That’s a skill you have to have as a leader of a team. For a young quarterback, that’s tough sometimes. Now, in his third year, Brock not only has the experience, but the positivity and the results to justify that a little bit more. Guys look to him. He’s been a leader, even though he’s not always the most vocal.”
