It’s hard to imagine a world where a quarterback with Brock Purdy’s resume has anything to prove in training camp. In two NFL seasons he has 21 regular season starts under his belt and amassed a 17-4 record in those starts. He was a top-four MVP finisher in his first full season as a starter and he already has more playoff wins than Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott. Still, Purdy will go into his third professional training camp with one big thing to prove.
To be clear, Purdy’s teammates and coaches appear to all be sold on him as a winning quarterback. However, this year’s camp is unique because it’s the first one following a full NFL offseason from the QB.
His first camp he was a rookie who’d just gone through the rigorous pre-draft process and was just trying to find his way as a first-year NFL player.
Last season he spent the offseason rehabbing his surgically-repaired right elbow and wasn’t even given a full workload when camp started.
This year is something of an inflexion point for the 49ers’ quarterback and camp will be the first signs of what type of ascension we’ll see. Purdy’s arrow is trending up, but once the pads come on and the practice reps are live we’ll get an idea of just what kind of leap he’ll be taking.
Perhaps he’s ‘just’ the quarterback he was last year, which would be okay. Purdy was excellent last season. There are opportunities for growth though in his decision-making and how he sees and reacts to defenses.
It’s unlikely we’ll notice any tangible growth athletically or with his arm strength. We will be able to see how he’s processing things though now that he’s gotten a chance to improve as an NFL signal caller over the last five or so months. His command of the offense will be apparent. His ability to avoid turnovers or near turnovers will also be made apparent.
The 49ers are Purdy’s team for the foreseeable future barring some kind of catastrophe this season. How high he’ll climb as a pro and how far he can take them will depend on his continued growth, and this year’s training camp will be the first major step toward seeing what he’ll have to offer in the coming years.
