Brock Purdy elevates his game even more to start season for the 49ers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy has produced at a high level ever since bursting on the scene as a seventh-round rookie in 2022 who went on a deep playoff run with the San Francisco 49ers .

He's been an MVP finalist, went drive for drive against Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl in the 2023 season and led his team to a comeback road playoff win last season in Philadelphia.

Through two weeks this season, Purdy has shown there might be even another level he can take his game. After throwing three touchdown passes in a season-opening win over the Super Bowl favorite Los Angeles Rams, Purdy was nearly flawless last week in a win against Miami .

“I thought he had his best training camp, just in terms of being aggressive with things, but not stupid,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “Still making the right efficient decision, but when there’s a chance of things being aggressive, and I’ve seen that here these last two weeks. I think the more he plays, just with experience, the easier defenses come to recognize and things like that. But he played so good right away that it’s not like, ‘Oh, he’s so much better in this area.’ I just think you gradually become a vet and used to everything that you’ve seen.”

Through two games, Purdy has completed 80.4% of his passes, has led nearly as many scoring drives (10) as he has thrown incomplete passes (11) and has shown the athleticism to elevate Shanahan's system even when things don't go exactly as scripted.

There were a few plays where that was most evident last week against the Dolphins, including one when he pump faked to avoid pressure on a rollout, eluded a rusher, passed up an open Deebo Samuel on a short throw to connect on a perfectly placed 27-yard pass to Mike Evans in tight coverage to set up a touchdown.

“I think his ability to play within the scheme, and then know when to play football like you’re a kid,” All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey said about Purdy's biggest strength. “There’s a good balance of doing your job and being extremely detailed on what’s asked of you, but even coaches will admit, sometimes the play might not be there, and you’ve got to go make a play instead of just move on. And Brock’s always looking for that, and seems to always find it.”

Purdy is finding just about every open receiver so far this season. He went 20 for 22 against the Dolphins with 18 straight completions at one point. The only passes that hit the ground were a drop by Samuel on the opening drive and his final throw that went for intentional grounding on a broken play.

Purdy's numbers have always been impressive. He led the NFL with a 113 passer rating and 9.6 yards per attempt in 2023 when he finished fourth in MVP voting and helped the Niners reach the Super Bowl. He needs 91 more attempts to reach 1,500 and qualify for the all-time leaderboard where his 104.9 passer rating is on track to be the best in NFL history and his 8.6 yards per attempt ranking second to Hall of Famer Otto Graham.

While much of the credit for his early success went to Shanahan and the talented playmakers around him, Purdy is now getting the outside praise that those around the 49ers have always believed he deserved.

“At some point, it’s he’s an incredible, great quarterback. He’s unbelievable,” McCaffrey said. “So can he take it to another level? I mean, yeah. But he’s already in the category of somebody that is special. I’ve been answering that question for years now. It was like, ‘Are you shocked how good he is?’ And then next week, ‘Are you shocked how good he is?’ Then next year? ‘Are you shocked?’ I’m not shocked. He’s special.”

Through two weeks, Purdy has also cut down on his mistakes, throwing only one interception after having 13 in 11 starts in the regular season and playoffs in 2025.

He said he worked with the coaching staff in the offseason on knowing when to take chances and when to play it safe and is happy with his risk level so far this season.

“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,” he said. “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.”

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