49ers coach reveals Brock Purdy's mindset after practice mistakes

From a casual observer's perspective, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy didn't have his best training camp practice on Saturday. He threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, which may have looked like a rough outing to fans in attendance.

However, quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi sees it differently—and so does Purdy.

Lombardi couldn't help but laugh on Sunday when asked about the two pick-sixes.

"Practice interceptions are funny because they happen for certain reasons other than just ones that maybe happen in a game," Lombardi said. "I think Brock has always been a guy who really doesn't focus on the last play. He focuses on the next one."

Lombardi pointed to last season's contest against the Chicago Bears, when Purdy threw a pick-six on the first offensive play of the game. The 49ers quarterback quickly bounced back, finishing with 303 passing yards and three touchdowns after the interception.

"He's a big reason we won that game; the offense played really well," Lombardi said. "His first throw of the game was a pick-six. I think, when you play quarterback, you're going to make some mistakes, you're going to miss some throws, and the defense is going to make some good plays. And just like any other sport, like, you're not focused on the good and the bad that just happened. You've got to move on to the next thing.

"And I think that's one of Brock's great strengths, is he's able to do that and flush the bad and the good and just focus on what's in front of him and where his feet are right now."

Lombardi said Purdy approaches practice with the same mentality he brings to games, including Saturday's session. More importantly, the 49ers coaching staff is focused on whether the players are executing the process they have been taught rather than simply looking at the outcome of each play.

"I'm not really focused so much on the result of the play because if you practice a certain way, that's progress to me, and I think they all understand that," Lombardi said. "So when we go in the meeting room, and [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan], [offensive coordinator] Klay [Kubiak], and myself talk to them, they understand there's a standard.

"And the standard's not so much the result. The standard's so much the process, and I think that's what they all try to do the best."

For Purdy, that mindset could prove particularly valuable during the 2026 season. Mistakes are inevitable for any quarterback, but the ability to quickly move past them and focus on the next play is one of the qualities the 49ers clearly value in their starting quarterback.