San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy is still dealing with the oblique and rib injuries he sustained against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played through against the Seattle Seahawks. Before Saturday's game against the Washington Commanders, NFL insider Jay Glazer shared more information about the injury.
"What people don't know is that last game they played a couple of Thursdays ago in Seattle, he actually had a strained oblique," Glazer said on FOX's pre-game show, "and had some tears in the muscle fiber, and also an injury to his ribs, as well. An hour-and-a-half before the game, he couldn't throw more than 10 yards.
"He took a pain-killing injection, and the team said, 'Oh my gosh.' What they thought about him just went through the ceiling that day."
This week, head coach Kyle Shanahan told NBC Sports Bay Area that he wasn't sure Purdy would be able to play against the Seahawks. And he wasn't just talking about the week leading to that Thursday night game. Shanahan wasn't sure his rookie quarterback would make it through the game while watching him in pre-game warmups.
Purdy was intent on playing, though.
Shanahan was hopeful he could play some but wasn't optimistic the quarterback would make it through the entire game. However, Purdy did make it through the game, helping the 49ers clinch the NFC West crown and a playoff spot.
Nine days later, against the Washington Commanders, the injury still impacts Purdy. That didn't stop his 49ers from winning their eighth consecutive game, though.
"He's definitely not 100 percent," Shanahan told reporters after the 37-20 win. "So I think it affects him a little bit."
Still, the quarterback feels much better compared to what he was dealing with heading into that Seahawks game. He finished Saturday's game against the Commanders 15-of-22 for 234 yards, two touchdowns, an interception, and a passer rating of 114.6.
"Honestly, I did feel it a little bit more against Seattle," Purdy admitted. "So there were some movements, like certain weird movements, where I would feel my rib and whatnot. But for this game, I felt great, honestly, going into the game. I did well with the treatment and everything this whole week leading up to it. So I did feel better on the run, especially going to my left and everything.
"Yeah, I think if coach would have called that kind of stuff in Seattle too, I would have made it happen, either way. It's part of the game."
With four games of extended playing time and three starts under his belt, is Purdy more comfortable in his role as the 49ers' starting quarterback?
Shanahan said, "We always knew he had command from the beginning but once you go through these weeks, it's not just the games, but also just getting used to how he is on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the whole routine of the week, meetings, everything. Him starting to talk to guys, they just get more used to the guy, and it's been fun."
The only change for Purdy is that he is receiving more reps in practice and playing time in games. The rookie quarterback always spent his week preparing as if he were the starter.
"I don't really think about, Am I getting more and more comfortable? or anything like that," Purdy shared. "I still have that same fire and drive as before, [when] I wasn't playing. I want to go in, and I want to prove [myself] to my teammates and earn their respect every snap, every drive, that kind of mentality.
"I've just got to remind myself to not lose that passion and that fire and that it's never easy. Every single game, it doesn't matter who we're playing, it's never easy."
Tight end George Kittle, who hauled in two touchdown passes from Purdy, believes the rookie's confidence makes everyone around him more confident.
"You can just tell, he's taken tens of thousands of reps at quarterback," Kittle said. "I think that's very helpful for him right now, and that's a reason he's been able to step in this late in the season and play at a high level."
Perhaps the best quote about Purdy came from a 49ers wide receiver.
"With Purdy, since day one, he has big cojones, man," Ray-Ray McCloud said.
Despite being a rookie, McCloud believes Purdy gives off "alpha male" vibes in the locker room.
"And when he's out there, he takes leadership in the huddle," McCloud shared. "And that's been since preseason, when he first got here, OTAs, and it's not surprising us on the field."
