49ers' Brock Purdy credits life change for recovery, stellar play

It turns out the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered during the team's NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles this past January may have been the best thing to happen to his career because it forced him into better sleeping habits. 

"Going into surgery, the doctor was telling me the importance of sleep," Purdy told Matt Barrows of The Athletic for a piece published Thursday. "My teammates, guys who had been through injuries like mine, were telling me, 'Dude, sleep is going to be your best friend.' And so I made it a priority. That was No. 1 on my list."

It was feared before Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 that he could miss the entire 2023 season. He instead recovered in time for Week 1 and is a candidate to earn Most Valuable Player votes, in part because he has gone from getting roughly seven hours of sleep a night to enjoying what Barrows mentioned is "at least nine hours" of rest for each day. 

"It’s been a night-and-day difference this year, I’d say," Purdy explained. "Starting from the recovery process from when I had surgery all the way up until now. I have energy. I’m attentive during meetings. It’s a real difference, I think." 

Whatever Purdy has been doing since March, it's certainly worked for him. ESPN stats show he enters Week 13 leading the NFL among qualified players with a 75.6 adjusted QBR, a 112.3 passer rating, a 70.2% completion percentage and an average of 9.4 yards per pass attempt. Across San Francisco's first 11 games, Purdy tossed 19 touchdown passes and six interceptions. 

Purdy and the 8-3 Niners play at the 10-1 Eagles this coming Sunday. As of Thursday afternoon, oddschecker listed San Francisco as a three-point road favorite for that matchup.