It's been 308 days since Brock Purdy suffered a UCL tear. Today, he returns to Lincoln Financial Field, the site of that injury, to lead the San Francisco 49ers in an NFC Championship Game rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. Expectations are high for a more competitive game than last season's 31-7 rout.
While Purdy isn't seeking revenge, the second-year quarterback eagerly anticipates matchups like these, relishing the prospect of playing again in front of a hostile crowd.
"I'm really excited for it, honestly," Purdy told FOX Sports' Erin Andrews. "Going back, it's a great environment. These are the kinds of games that you grow up watching on TV, wishing you were in there. Everyone chanting against you.
"It's going to be a hostile environment. It's going to be prime time (it's FOX's game of the week). And so for us to go in and just play good football, there's nothing better."
San Francisco is riding a three-game winning streak and is a three-point favorite over the home-team Eagles. That has puzzled some, considering the Eagles have won five straight and own a league-leading 10-1 record.
Purdy believes everything happens for a reason and is still searching for the lesson behind his injury in last season's crucial game.
October was not kind to the 49ers. The team lost three games in a row but has rebounded nicely.
"After that game against Dallas, it's like we beat them pretty badly and felt good about ourselves being 5-0," Purdy said. "And then, boom, you get humbled the next week. Just having that chip on our shoulder with our backs against the wall, it's almost like that's when we play our best football, when we play desperate football, like, 'We need this game. We need every play.' Anything can happen, any given Sunday."