Practice. We're talking about practice. Well, that's the main headline for the 49ers, who completed their lone set of joint practices this offseason, competing against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday and Friday ahead of their preseason bout this weekend.
At the headline of the action? Quarterback Brock Purdy, who took a majority of all the reps as the first-team quarterback, and reportedly had an inconsistent two days of practice, with the latter outing resulting in a three-interception day.
Are Purdy's interceptions an issue for the 49ers, given they're coming in a practice setting?
This question has a packed answer, given the timing of the inconsistencies, as well as the reported lack of action from Purdy in Sunday's preseason game.
The toughest part of the evaluation is the inability to truly sense the process behind plays where Purdy was intercepted, as well as the entirety of the outing to truly determine how the quarterback played on the day, given I wasn't there to first-handedly visualize the practice.
But, are these practices important for Purdy? Absolutely.
In fact, I agree with head coach Kyle Shanahan's sentiment that the joint practices provide more value to the team than the preseason games, hence the heightened impact of the past two days.
Why? Because the 49ers are going up against the Raiders' first-team offense and defense, matching their top unit to their opponent's, with the energy and intensity there.
That's the only opportunity that the 49ers will get throughout the duration of the preseason to see how well their team matches up to others' around the league.
I'm fine with Purdy not playing in the first preseason game either, as his "preseason action" was essentially the plethora of reps he earned over the two days, but his performance during the joint practices absolutely matters, especially when considering that one day included three interceptions.
Purdy should start the season as the top quarterback, both in part because of his 2022 performance, but also since neither of the backup options blew anyone away with their training camp performances, leaving the team without that runaway option.
But, it's still important to note the way he progresses, especially if the quarterback acknowledges that he's building back up to speed still.
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