San Francisco 49ers legend Patrick Willis never had the chance to play alongside quarterback Jeff Garcia, who led the team from 1999 to 2003. Willis didn't arrive in San Francisco until 2007. Still, as a young Dallas Cowboys fan, he remembers Garcia well—mostly for the heartbreak the 49ers quarterback caused his favorite team.
These days, Willis has enjoyed watching another 49ers quarterback make his mark—Brock Purdy. Despite San Francisco's disappointing 6-11 finish last season, a year marred by injuries, Willis believes Purdy remains the right man to lead head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense.
After throwing for a franchise-record 4,280 yards in 2023, Purdy's production dipped in 2024, when he posted 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Speaking with DJ Siddiqi of RG.com, Willis expressed confidence that Purdy will bounce back in 2025.
"I think he's still capable of being the quarterback he's been," Willis said.
Purdy reminds Willis of Garcia, who became a four-time Pro Bowler over his NFL career—three times with the 49ers.
"He reminded me a lot of a Jeff Garcia," Willis explained. "I didn't get a chance to see Jeff Garcia play a whole lot. I just remember when I was growing up in the South during those times, I was a Cowboys fan, and that was all I saw on TV. I remember the 2000 Jeff Garcia, and they had a pretty electrifying offense. He had a pretty good run game, and I saw Jeff Garcia move around and throw the ball and just have a lot of heart."
That heart is what Willis now sees in Purdy. Since being thrust into the starting job as a rookie, Purdy has led the 49ers to two NFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl, all while displaying the poise of a veteran.
Like Garcia, Purdy doesn't fit the prototypical quarterback mold at 6-foot-1. Critics often point to his lack of size and say his success is more due to the elite talent around him, but Willis says Purdy's leadership and determination set him apart.
"He wasn't very big, but he had heart," Willis said of Garcia. "That's what I see in Brock Purdy. I see someone that is not the biggest, not the fastest, but he gets the job done and gets it done at a high level. I'm not saying they're the same stature, and who's better than not. But he just kind of gives me a little bit of that Jeff Garcia, where he's going to run it if he needs to run it, or he's going to make the play. He's going to make it happen when it needs to happen. I'm a Brock Purdy fan."