49ers QB Brock Purdy moves on from career-worst performance to make 49ers history

Brock Purdy turned his dismal Christmas night performance into a distant memory on Sunday, with the help of a history-making milestone.

Purdy had the worst performance of his NFL career in a 33-19 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens on December 25, throwing for 255 yards and four interceptions on 18-of-32 passing. Purdy had to move past that performance quickly due to the fact the 49ers had their regular season road finale against the Washington Commanders six days later, a test he was able to ace after completing 22-of-28 passes for 230 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in a convincing 27-10 win.

As an added bonus, Purdy set a new single-season passing record for the 49ers (4,280 yards) in the win, breaking a mark set by Jeff Garcia in 2000 (4,278 yards).

It's a record that is no small feat for a man who was the last player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, especially considering the fact he's part of an organization that was the home to legendary quarterbacks like Joe Montana and Steve Young. Purdy was clearly appreciative to be the holder of that record, but he was also quick to give credit to the people around him for helping him along the way.

"It's an honor to be able to come into an organization with the rich history that this place has," Purdy told reporters after the win over the Commanders. "And obviously, to be able to break a record like that, to me, just being the human side of it is cool. I was just a little kid dreaming of playing in the NFL, and to be able to do something like that, it's pretty cool. But, man, I got to say, it's a testament to the team that I have around me -- the dudes that I get to throw the ball to, the guys on defense, special teams, our coaches, the organization. Everything's been so good for me to come in and they've allowed me to have success, and so it's a testament to everybody around me, and I'm very thankful."

Sunday's win was also a stepping stone for Purdy and the 49ers, who are now heading towards the postseason having locked up the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. Purdy was down in the dumps after the loss to the Ravens but is now carrying some momentum into the playoffs given the possibility he may not play much (if at all) in the season finale against the Los Angeles Rams next week.

"Everyone was ready to play (against the Ravens), and I feel like I obviously didn't play up to the standard that I hold myself to... I just felt like I'd let them down. But they had my back all week, and to be able to come out in a game like this and get the ball rolling again and put up some points and for the defense to do their thing, it felt good."

Purdy's top target against the Commanders was wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who caught seven passes for 114 yards and one touchdown. Aiyuk's touchdown was one of the highlights of the game for Purdy, who scrambled away from pressure on the play before finding him wide open in the end zone.

"He had some struggles last week," Aiyuk said. "He didn't play the way he wanted to, but just a testament to the person who he is, the football player, he is able to come out here and still throw the football around, still making even a scramble drill. He's not shying away from me. He's coming out here and continue to play the brand of football that he knows how to play and that he will continue to play because he's a special, special, special player and I'm happy for him."

Purdy drew praise after the game from head coach Kyle Shanahan, who was proud of his young quarterback for fighting through a week full of questions about his

"He studied his tail off all week, practiced well, knew some of the reasons," Shanahan said Sunday. "He made some mistakes in the game before and just treated like any other week. And I think it's good to get out there and didn't have any picks today, which I think will be good to not have to answer questions on those.

"But I thought (the record) was a hell of deal for him. I mean, they've had a lot of real good quarterbacks in this organization and just being told in (the locker room) that he broke the record for the all time yards in a year, that's a pretty big accomplishment by him and everyone else in there."

The next chapter of Purdy's NFL career will be a significant one as he heads into the playoffs leading a team that is favored to be the NFC's representative in the Super Bowl. Purdy was able to rebound quickly from the Christmas game by ignoring the outside noise, keeping focused on the task at hand and not pressing too hard to change what has worked in the past, which is a pattern he can be expected to follow once the postseason arrives.

"Stay present, don't get caught up in what's going on around and what people are saying and all that kind of stuff," Purdy said. "There's so much more football to be played. And so for myself, understanding that and trusting the process and the routine that I've done all season and since I've been playing in the NFL, that's where my mind was at. Especially after last game, there didn't need to be a drastic change in anything. I needed to be smart with the ball and execute better. As simple as that. So just being present and saying, taking it one day at a time."