Some media pundits are overlooking the San Francisco 49ers following an offseason that brought significant changes, with several key veterans replaced by younger, less proven, but high-potential talent. Quarterback Brock Purdy believes dismissing the 49ers in 2025 would be a mistake. He's confident the team still has enough talent to make noise.
Fresh off signing a five-year, $265 million contract extension, Purdy understands just how unpredictable the NFL can be—and that's precisely why he believes this revamped 49ers squad could surprise people.
"Obviously, it does hurt seeing some guys that you played with for a while, in the locker room, and what they meant to this team, go and get paid," Purdy said Thursday on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game. "I mean, I'm happy for them, but also, it's like, 'Man, that's my brother, and he left.' So, it definitely hurt at first.
"But also, I think sometimes some of the dangerous teams are the teams that don't know exactly what to expect, and all they know is how to work and have that chip on their shoulder. And then, they just go at it and find ways to win. I feel like we've seen that in the NFL. Year after year, you see these teams that come out of nowhere and they're playing for something that, at the beginning of the year, no one ever thought they would have a chance."
Purdy believes the 49ers can be one of those teams. Despite the turnover, the core remains strong with established veterans like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner—and of course, Purdy himself.
"All those guys—we're still here, man," Purdy said. "They're ballers still, and in their prime. And so, for me, I'm like, we've still got dudes, we've got young guys that we've got to build up, but let's put that chip back on our shoulder, go to work, and let's take it one game at a time."
Purdy added that the team returned for Phase One of the offseason program hungry to prove that last season's disappointing six-win finish was an anomaly, not a sign that the Super Bowl window had closed.
"We got guys with chips on their shoulder, and young guys that are hungry for their moment, and that excites me," Purdy concluded.
You can listen to Purdy's entire interview below.