Whatever amount of uncertainty that remained regarding Brock Purdy’s health status and where he stands as the 49ers’ starting quarterback practically evaporated last week after Kyle Shanahan’s bold statement.
“We’re not worried about Brock,” the 49ers’ coach told reporters. “Brock’s the real deal. He knows how to play.”
There are many questions surrounding the 49ers’ quarterbacks this summer, but there’s no mystery when it comes to who’s QB1 on the depth chart. Purdy is viewed as the franchise quarterback, and all eyes are on him to end the organization’s 29-year drought without a Super Bowl.
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Purdy can certainly play, evident from his improbable rise from last pick of the 2022 draft to starting rookie quarterback in the NFC championship game after guiding the 49ers to seven consecutive wins. And Purdy’s throwing arm injury, which prevented him from participating in the offseason program, is starting to become an afterthought with the way he’s performed throughout training camp.
After getting two days of rest, Purdy put on a show Monday morning during Dwight Clark Day in Santa Clara, Calif. Purdy was sharp during 11-on-11 drills, and displayed poise, a word that’s used often by teammates and coaches to describe the second-year quarterback.
49ers linebacker Oren Burks initially hesitated to compare Purdy to Aaron Rodgers, whom Burks played with in Green Bay for four seasons. But he later decided it was O.K. to compare them when it comes to poise.
“I would say the poise is very similar, especially coming from a young guy,” Burks said. “It’s very rare to see a guy coming into a situation like he did last year. He handled himself like a pro. Ultimately, getting the opportunity to play. I think he handled that probably better than any rookie I’ve seen with that opportunity, but I see a lot of similarities. But they’re both their own players.
“We’ll see how his career progresses. But I’ve been super proud of Brock, even as just a person. He’s a great human being, a great person to be around, and people feed off that, like the poise he has in the pocket. The way he leads the huddle is different.”
Purdy being on track to start Week 1, however, doesn’t eliminate the QB competition at 49ers training camp. Former No. 3 picks Sam Darnold and Trey Lance are vying to be Purdy’s backup.
Both split reps with the second team Monday, but there was a twist. Darnold went first with the second-team offense and was followed by Brandon Allen, who operated with the third team. That meant Lance had to wait until after Purdy’s second series of every drill to see the field, limiting the amount of work he received.
Lance’s first pass in team drills was an interception to linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles. Lance needed a few series to appear comfortable, which occurred after a few running plays.
As for Darnold, he seems to be the front-runner to win the backup job because he hasn’t thrown an interception during his first training camp with the 49ers. But Darnold had a few rough moments Monday, including a batted pass that was nearly intercepted by Flannigan-Fowles. Darnold’s best pass of the day was a rainbow drop for wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III in the left corner of the end zone.
Purdy is clearly a level above Darnold and Lance, but he’s had plenty to learn in his first training camp as the starter. Shanahan said he noticed a few times last postseason that Purdy had some missed opportunities due to leaving the pocket too soon.
Purdy showed improvement in that area during his best play of Monday’s practice. With defenders charging at him, Purdy shuffled his feet in the pocket to create space, launching a laser down the right sideline for McCloud. It wasn’t the prettiest footwork, but he allowed time for the play to develop, throwing the ball through a tight window after McCloud got a few steps past All-Pro Talanoa Hufanga and defensive back Deommodore Lenoir.
“It’s when to break and when not to,” Shanahan explained. “I think Brock does as good of a job with that as anyone. … Couple times later in the playoffs, just missed a couple, leaving the pocket too early that ends up with him having to throw it away. He also kept us on the field a ton.
“There’s a fine line with that. … Sometimes you gotta take the good with the bad.”
After an offseason with plenty of uncertainty, there’s been a lot more good than bad for Purdy this summer in the Bay Area.
