Things are a little different for 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy as the club prepares to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Purdy, who began the year as the QB3, became the backup after Trey Lance’s injury in Week 2, and now finds himself thrust into the starting role for a team in the thick of a division race after Jimmy Garoppolo’s Week 13 injury.
While quarterbacks always try and prepare the same every week, Purdy did point out some differences in his weekly routine now that he’s QB1.
“It’s been solid,” Purdy said of his week during a press conference Thursday. “It’s been new, taking all the first-team reps and just the meetings and everything’s centered around how I think, the plays I like. And then getting the timing down with the receivers and running backs, so it’s been a little different, but it’s been really good.”
Working with the starters wasn’t a regular thing for Purdy while he was the backup signal caller. His first real work with that group came when he entered the game for Garoppolo early in Week 13. Now he’s getting a chance to get on the same page with that starting group, and they’ve made sure the rookie feels like the starter.
“There’s been a lot of good things that people have said, both coaches and players,” Purdy said. “I think the biggest thing is seeing like the older guys, the veterans of the team, just come up to me and tell me like, Hey, like we got you. And even the guys on defense, they’re like, do your thing on offense, we’re going to hold it down and do our part. And then the older guys on offense, like [RB] Christian [McCaffrey] and [TE] George [Kittle] and [WR] Deebo [Samuel], [WR Brandon Aiyuk] B.A., [T] Trent [Williams], all those guys, they’re like, man, we got you. We’re not just going to throw you out there and leave you out there by yourself. They all got my back and I think that’s just been the coolest part about it, so knowing that I’m not alone in this whole thing.”
Purdy’s first foray into being an NFL QB was a success when he helped guide the 49ers to a 33-17 win over the red-hot Miami Dolphins at Levi’s Stadium. Things won’t get any easier Sunday when the 49ers welcome in a top-10 Buccaneers defense and quarterback Tom Brady.
Whether Purdy succeeds won’t ultimately be known until they play the game, but the 49ers’ rookie and his teammates are ensuring he’s as ready as possible.
