San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Friday, offering updates on quarterback Brock Purdy, who returned to action in Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals.
With Purdy coming off a turf toe injury, many outside the organization wondered how the quarterback would respond to full-speed contact. The 49ers have been deliberate with his recovery since the initial Week 1 injury, hoping to avoid another setback like the one Purdy suffered in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fortunately for San Francisco, Purdy emerged from the game in strong health. He was a full participant in practice on both Thursday and Friday—a promising sign for the veteran signal-caller.
"It was great," Shanahan said. "That was the most encouraging part. He never zinged it during the game. He felt good going into it, but you never know, when you get tackled or anything, if you're going to zing it. And he didn't at all, felt great on Monday when he woke up, which is always a good sign, and he's been great this whole week, too."
Purdy admitted that getting back on the field was valuable, especially since it marked his first game action since September.
"I thought it was good just to get my feet wet again, and sort of go through reads, compete, find a way to win," Purdy said on Thursday. "All that kind of stuff, it's hard to emulate that at practice, and so, until you're in a game situation, when you go out there, and they score, and we've got to respond, those kinds of situational football moments, it just felt good being in that.
"But I think, outside of that, for me, I went back, watched the film, and thought I could still play better and make some better decisions with the ball. At the same time, just be aggressive and have that aggressive mentality. It's a balance of that.
"So, that's just where I'm at after [the] last game, but I think, as an offense, we have a lot of momentum right now from that last game, but we've got to find that again come Monday night."
As for his recovery, Purdy feels he is nearly at full health—or at least confident that his toe won't hinder his play.
"Not 100 percent by any means, but pretty close," Purdy said. "And I would say I can do everything that it takes to play quarterback at a high level and be myself for sure. But it is what it is when it comes to having to deal with something health-wise. But I feel like I can scramble, I can make plays on the run, step up in the pocket, rip the ball aggressively. So, I feel like I can play my style of ball for sure right now."
Shanahan praised Purdy's throws against Arizona, highlighting the quarterback's touch and poise. Hopefully, it's the start of a nice run for the team.
"It was a real good first game back," Shanahan added.
49ers vs. Panthers is a crucial matchup
The 49ers face a significant Monday night showdown with the Carolina Panthers as the former try to keep pace in a competitive NFC West. Every game matters, especially with playoff positioning tightening entering the late-season stretch. However, the Panthers are also eyeing a playoff spot, making the Week 12 matchup just as critical for them.
"Any time you're playing a team in November, who really, almost has the same record as you, and you're both sitting there looking at very similar playoff seeds, I think it does mean more," Shanahan said. "Only so many people get those spots, and we're hoping that's us, and we know this team is one of the teams that's got a good shot at it."
Purdy echoed his coach's sentiment, noting the growing intensity as the regular season winds down.
"More than anything, it's a crucial time of the year," Purdy said. "It's getting towards the end of the season. Obviously, everybody knows November and December football is huge, especially going into the playoffs and everything. So, for us, this is a huge one."
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