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Publicly, the San Francisco 49ers remained steadfast throughout the 2023 offseason in declaring Brock Purdy their starting quarterback. This commitment meant a lot to the second-year quarterback, who was recovering from offseason surgery to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow—an injury sustained in the NFC Championship Game.
Before this setback, the 49ers seemed destined to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 57, and Purdy's emergence played a significant role in that.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan sat down with Purdy in the offseason, making it clear that the young quarterback would start in Week 1. Barring any setback in his recovery, only one factor could have altered this plan.
"Early in the offseason, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan sat down with Purdy and assured him that if he was healthy he would be the starter unless Brady wanted to play one more season for his hometown Niners," wrote Nick Wagoner in a feature for ESPN.
Purdy had recently defeated a team led by Tom Brady, with his first start coming against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Purdy guided the 49ers to a one-sided 35-7 victory. He proceeded to lead the team to six more victories before losing in the NFC Championship Game.
Purdy understood the 49ers' thinking. If you have a shot at a future Hall of Fame quarterback, you take it. Even after Brady's retirement, rumors persisted about the possibility of him playing one season for his hometown 49ers.
According to Wagoner, San Francisco was "ready for one final run at Tom Brady." However, Brady remained retired, and the team moved forward with their impressive young quarterback.
"That meant so much to me," Purdy said of Shanahan's confidence in him. "I remember him saying, 'If we can get Tom Brady, we're going to try to get him.' And I was like, 'Yeah, he's the GOAT. I get it.' But something deep down inside me was sort of like, 'Dude, I just showed you that I can play well in this system. And we were one game away from the Super Bowl.' ... More than anything, I was like, 'OK, now let's go.'"
The decision to stick with Purdy has paid off for the 49ers. They now have the opportunity to return to the NFC Championship Game for the third consecutive season and the fourth time in five years. Purdy has been a pivotal factor in the team's success this season and even set a new franchise record for passing yards in a single season.
While the prospect of Brady joining the 49ers might have created an intriguing storyline, the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft winning Super Bowl 58 could be even better.
49ers' Brock Purdy reflects on NFCCG, first start, surgery recovery, family's Tom Brady plans
By David Bonilla
4 hrs
On Thursday night, Brock Purdy joined several former San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks at the Dwight Clark Legacy Series event in San Jose. During the event, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area, one of the moderators, asked the 24-year-old to rewind a couple of years and reflect on how he burst onto the NFL scene in 2022.
Purdy's first significant playing time came when the 49ers lost two quarterbacks that season—first Trey Lance and then Jimmy Garoppolo. Purdy stepped in for Garoppolo against the Miami Dolphins, unaware that he would be the starter moving forward.
"Jimmy went down, and they're like, 'All right, you're up,'" Purdy shared. "So I'm in tune to what we're doing against Miami's defense and stuff on the sidelines. And so, when they said that I was
Watch: 49ers QB Brock Purdy throws out first pitch at Giants game
By David Bonilla
May 14
Fans had the opportunity to cheer for Brock Purdy tonight as the San Francisco 49ers quarterback threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park, preceding the Giants' game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
QB1 has arrived 🫡 pic.twitter.com/FDDdVS30p4— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 15,
Does 49ers QB Brock Purdy need Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel for success?
By David Bonilla
May 15
Rumors circulated before and during the 2024 NFL Draft about the possibility of the San Francisco 49ers losing one of their top two wide receivers—Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel. Such a scenario could have significantly impacted the team's success in the upcoming season and posed a potential blow for quarterback Brock Purdy, who has thrived alongside the dynamic duo on the field.
However, none of these speculations came to fruition. Both Aiyuk and Samuel remain on the roster, at least for another season, though their future beyond that remains uncertain.
Aiyuk is seeking a contract extension that would position him among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL. At the same time, Samuel already commands a significant salary following a deal rework in 2022.
Steve Young on keeping the 49ers competitive after paying Brock Purdy
By David Bonilla
May 16
The San Francisco 49ers are gearing up to elevate quarterback Brock Purdy to their highest-paid player status starting next year. Negotiations for a contract extension with the young signal-caller, entering his third NFL season, are on the horizon.
Purdy's on-field performance has far exceeded his current salary. Last season, he set a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards and led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance while earning a base salary of $870,000. Even for the upcoming season, his salary will only bump up to $985,000. That may sound like a lot to the ordinary person, but it is only a fraction of the team's salary cap.
However, Purdy's next contract is expected to catapult him into the ranks of the NFL's highest-paid players. That title
