When the San Francisco 49ers' general manager, John Lynch, assesses Brock Purdy today and draws comparisons to the player who stepped inside Lincoln Financial Field in January for the NFC Championship Game, he sees "very much the same guy."
Of course, Purdy has continued to develop as a player and has shown significant growth this season while leading the 49ers to an NFC West-best 8-3 record.
This Sunday, Purdy returns to Lincoln Financial Field, where he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow just 10 months ago, forcing the quarterback to endure a lengthy offseason recovery.
Lynch points out that one of Purdy's most commendable traits is that no moment is too big for him, whether it involves rehabbing an injury or playing in an NFC Championship Game rematch between NFL powerhouses. Purdy is poised to confront any challenge head-on.
"I think that was witnessed probably more powerfully than anything with the way he recovered," Lynch told KNBR's Markus Boucher and Dieter Kurtenbach on Friday morning when asked about the quarterback's return to Philly. "The preparation he put into his recovery from this injury, beating timelines, exceeding timelines by just coming to work every day and finding a way to get better, that's just what Brock does."
A victory on Sunday would position Purdy's team within striking distance of overtaking the Eagles for the top seed in the NFC playoff picture. However, a loss would be devastating for their postseason home-field advantage aspirations.
While aware of the stakes, Purdy avoids overthinking his return to the field where he suffered his heartbreaking injury.
"Yeah, I got hurt there and everything, but for me, it's Week 13," Purdy said this week. "We're going on the road in a hostile environment. We're late in the season, so every game is obviously big for us. And so that's where I'm at with my mindset. Am I going to go back and feel a certain way? None of that. It's a new year, two new teams, slightly different in ways. So that's how I'm looking at it."
Lynch and the 49ers aren't concerned about Purdy's mental state heading into the much-anticipated Week 13 clash with the Eagles. As for the injury aspect, the general manager trusts that his quarterback has put that chapter behind him.
"I don't think Brock's making too much of that, and that's not just lip service," Lynch said. "Obviously, he knows that this is where the unfortunate injury happened. But I think what more so is on Brock's mind is the challenge of playing against a really good football team and finding a way to go beat them. And that's the way Brock thinks. That's the way he functions."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.