What 49ers QB Brock Purdy learned amid difficult 2024 season

Quarterback Brock Purdy emerged as a Most Valuable Player Award finalist  for the 2023 season before he guided the San Francisco 49ers to within a defensive stop of winning Super Bowl LVIII. 

However, he and the 49ers then endured an injury-plagued 2024 campaign as the club went from 5-4 to 6-11. 

During a recent chat with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Purdy spoke about what he learned during what was the hardest season, to date, of his pro career. 

"I would say I was frustrated about losing the Super Bowl, and it was like, 'Alright, we got to get back,'" Purdy told Breer. "That’s all I saw, was getting back. And because some of those guys are out, I have to go make plays to get us back. And for me, I was losing sight of, 'Bro, keep every play as simple as possible, and don’t complicate it. And you will get back if you do your job the right way, every single drive for four quarters, and you win the game.' At times, I lost sight of that. I was trying to do too much."

Per Pro Football Reference, Purdy finished the 2023 regular season leading the NFL among qualified players with a 72.8 adjusted QBR, a 113.0 passer rating and an average of 9.6 yards gained per pass attempt. He was also third with 31 passing touchdowns. 

To compare, Purdy ended the 2024 campaign ranked seventh among qualified players with a 67.9 adjusted QBR, 13th with a 96.1 passer rating and third with an average of 8.5 yards gained per pass attempt. He, running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle, left tackle Trent Williams and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk were among the noteworthy San Francisco players who missed time last season because of injury setbacks. 

"I felt this pressure on myself that I need to be this Superman-type guy and go out and make plays off schedule," Purdy added about mistakes he made during the 2024 campaign. "There were some moments when I was like, 'Dude, you’ve got to go back to the basics. It doesn’t matter who’s out there. The way [head coach Kyle Shanahan] calls plays, you run it right, just like your rookie year (2022), and it works. Stick to that and be consistent. Don’t go searching because Christian is out of this game, and you think you have to go replace him."

Despite all that went wrong for the 49ers after their Week 9 bye last fall, the club signed Purdy to a five-year, $265M contract extension that included $181M in guarantees and a no-trade clause before its summer break. As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the 49ers and Washington Commanders tied for seventh among the betting favorites at +2000 odds to win Super Bowl LX in February 2026. 

Purdy will look to get "back to the basics" of playing the sport's most important position when San Francisco opens the upcoming season with a matchup at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 7.