San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw 37 passes against the Miami Dolphins on December 4. Kyle Shanahan wouldn't have called that many passing plays if he didn't trust his rookie passer. It was Purdy's first extended playing time, and the 49ers offense came alive, lifting the team to a 33-17 win.
This past weekend was Purdy's first NFL start, and he went against a legend in Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady. The 49ers dominated their way to a 35-7 win, and Purdy became the first NFL quarterback to beat Brady in his first start.
Shanahan might have had reason to call things a bit more conservatively with his 49ers leading 21-0 and just seconds away from halftime. But aggressive Kyle emerged, remembering what Brady has done to him in the past, and Purdy tossed a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to give San Francisco a 28-0 halftime lead.
"I think, ultimately, it comes down to a trust in the guy who's playing quarterback," general manager John Lynch shared Tuesday afternoon on KNBR's Tolbert & Copes show. "I think that trust was there, and Brock delivered upon it. It was good stuff. Brock will be the first to tell you there's a lot to improve on, but we're really grateful and proud of him for how he's handled it thus far."
In the game against the Dolphins, Purdy looked calm and collected. Nothing changed against the Buccaneers, even after the rookie quarterback absorbed a vicious hit early in the game. He plays like someone who has been doing it for years.
"From day one, that level of comfort has been there," Lynch said. "I think when you're talking about that, it's knowing where to go with the ball. It's the whole operation. But there's always these tests. It's like, 'OK, a lot of guys I've seen can do that in the offseason in shorts and t-shirts. All right, let's see now when we put the pads on, and we start going in training camp.'
"And then the next test is, 'All right, let's see in preseason games.' And then you say, 'OK, he earned his way on this team. We normally don't keep three. We have before, but we normally don't keep three quarterbacks. All right, let's see what he has.'
"But as a backup, you don't have a whole lot of opportunity, particularly when you're the No. 3 guy, to show that, even in practice. I think his ability to go out there, handle the whole operation ... [Miami] tried to throw everything at him, and he just was so comfortable, so composed, and it even got better [against the Buccaneers]."
Lynch added that few inside the building is surprised by Purdy's emergence. They've seen his work ethic and preparation. The general manager shared that Purdy even makes Shanahan calmer because the young quarterback can handle anything the coach throws at him.
That doesn't mean there weren't any surprises.
Said Lynch: "But then the playmaking ability, I think him extending plays, making some pretty cool plays, that's probably surprised us all. He's been terrific for us. ... He knows where to go with the ball. He does some high-level stuff in terms of manipulating linebackers and DBs in coverage by looking people off, and he's done that consistently. That's a hard thing to do when you're only getting three, four reps a day."
Purdy is dealing with an oblique/rib injury which makes his status for Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks uncertain. If he plays, it will be his first start on the road, and the rookie can help the 49ers clinch the NFC West title and at least one home playoff game.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.
