Two years ago, Brock Purdy was recovering from offseason surgery on his throwing arm, unable to practice with his San Francisco 49ers teammates during the spring. Last year, he was coming off a deep playoff run that ended in a heartbreaking Super Bowl loss.
This offseason has been very different. The 49ers won just six games in 2024 after an injury-plagued, mistake-filled campaign. While disappointing, the early exit may have been a blessing in disguise, giving Purdy and his teammates some much-needed rest after several years of deep postseason runs.
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Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after signing the largest contract in franchise history—and becoming one of the highest-paid players in the NFL—Purdy reflected on the benefits of the added rest.
"My body feels great, feel really healthy, and 100%," Purdy said. "So, it's just finding ways to get better, obviously, just with the new guys, and running routes, and watching the film, and applying that to the field with the ways that we can right now.
"Two years ago, obviously, coming off of surgery, I didn't have OTAs (organized team activities), and even camp for me was two days on, one day off, so I was missing a day. So, just being grateful that I'm out there, and actually getting better, and throwing, and having an offseason to work on fundamentals has been huge.
"Obviously, I said that last year, but this year, we didn't make the playoffs, and we had some time away to actually decompress and think about how the season went, and actually do some real reflection. The year before, Super Bowl, and got married, and it just went so fast, and boom, we were right into the next season."
Purdy admitted that he could not wait to get back with his teammates after the extended time off, and he noticed a different energy right away as the team works toward bouncing back from a disappointing six-win season.
"There's a new kind of re-energized feeling around the facility," he said. "So, yeah, it's an exciting time."
That energy will be vital as Purdy looks to build on his success and live up to his new five-year, $265 million contract extension. When asked what he's focusing on this offseason, the quarterback pointed to the basics.
"I think, just fundamentals in general," he said. "I know it sounds cheesy or whatnot, but just watching the film and stuff, my footwork, and being on point, and not getting too comfortable within a situation or game."
Purdy even went back to his rookie film to revisit what made him so effective during his breakout 2022 season.
"All I knew was what they coached me, and my footwork, and where my eyes need to be," he explained. "So, sort of sinking back to those fundamentals, and applying that to OTAs and the field work every single day, and having that fire in me every single rep. And so, it's been pretty cool."