Purdy Struggles with 3 Interceptions at 49ers Minicamp

It's June. The San Francisco 49ers have only had one day of mandatory minicamp.

Some will understand that players are using this time to knock off rust from the offseason. But others will overanalyze each repetition and judge the good and bad, however major or minor.

Some of the bad, so far? Quarterback Brock Purdy, the Niners' new highest-paid player with a contract averaging a $53 million salary signed a few weeks ago.

Reports out of San Fran's camp say that Purdy threw three interceptions during the team portion of Tuesday's practice.

49ers fans may want to cover their eyes and ears, but this struggle could be defended as it's something we've seen before.

"All three passes were forced either to receivers who weren't open or spots where defenders were waiting," beat writer Grant Cohn explained.

"This is how Purdy practices. He often throws interceptions because he's trying to figure out what he can get away with during real games. Plus, he's not a great practice player. He's a gamer and a playmaker who performs his best when the bullets are live because his ability to scramble and buy time is his best attribute. And he's not afraid to let it rip, which is why he throws so many picks."

There's some honesty both ways here.

Throwing three interceptions during a not-so-intense practice isn't very good ... but this behavior from Purdy is sometimes unavoidable in practice.

He thrives on the improvisation that can only be felt in game environments. During these set programs, he doesn't have the chance to make a play out of nothing when there isn't a strong rush. So, it may not be abnormal to see him forcing tough throws even when there is something easier in an attempt to replicate that difficulty he thrives in.

That no-fear mentality could still be looked at as a positive. It's better to have a quarterback who is confident in his ability and decision-making rather than passive.

As long as this isn't an every-down occurrence, 49ers fans don't have much to stress about. However, with how the 49ers' season went last year, it makes sense why fans might be skeptical.

Last season, Purdy saw a considerable drop off in passing numbers. He threw for less yards and touchdowns and his completion percentage lowered from 69.4 to 65. He threw just one more interception last season than the year before (12 in 2024 to 11 in 2023).

Health played a major factor in the 49ers disappointing 6-11 season, with Purdy himself managing to play with a bum shoulder toward the end of the year. He was inactive for the Niners' Week 10 and Week 18 games.

Outside of receiver Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco is expected to welcome more luck on that front this season.

He's hoping for a bounce-back season, and while this was a rough day at the office, Brock Purdy - at just 25 years old - hasn't lost his Pro-Bowl ability.

There are plenty of practices until Week 1 for San Francisco's star signal-caller to get his feet under him.