The biggest storyline this offseason for the San Francisco 49ers was extending quarterback Brock Purdy on a five-year, $265 million deal that includes $181 million in guaranteed money.
Purdy, coming off his third season in the NFL and his second as a full-time starter, was expected to garner a long-term extension this offseason, but the money and duration were question marks throughout the process.
Ultimately, the 49ers and Purdy settled on a deal that will average $53 million per season, which ranks seventh in the NFL.
It wasn’t the best year for the franchise quarterback in 2024, as Purdy tossed for 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Those numbers were a decline from his 2023 season, where the quarterback threw for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, while helping the 49ers en route to a Super Bowl appearance.
Regardless, the 49ers were inclined to extend their star quarterback, doing so ahead of the final year of Purdy’s rookie deal, and things went smoothly. Now, Purdy is locked in on the offseason program, with mandatory minicamp next up later this week.
Purdy has been one of the young, ascending quarterbacks in the NFL over the past two seasons, and his new contract certainly reflects that. But, where can he still improve heading into 2025?
“I think, like any quarterback, I think your job as quarterback is to take care of the football, and score points, and find completions,” newly-hired quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi said about Purdy. “And if you do that, I think wins find their way. I think we take it play-by-play. I don’t think there’s a next step that’s going to be solved tomorrow or the next game. I think it’s an ongoing process, and we’re working on that right now.
“But I think focus on the fundamentals, finding completions, and taking it down-by-down, play-by-play. And can we get better from the meeting tomorrow to the next meeting, and not focus on 10 meetings from now or Week 5 versus whoever?
“A lot of players say they want to be coached hard, and I really think he does want to be coached hard. He wants to be held to a high standard, and I think he’s the same person every day. He doesn’t change.”
Looking at ways to improve, Purdy looked at his last year’s tape and actually went back to his rookie film to find some answers and came away with a key area to focus on.
“Just going back and watching last year’s film, it’s like, ‘How can I just get back to being on top of my assignment and show really good fundamentals on film?’ I think last year there were times where I was going through my reads and plays and stuff where I could have just been quicker getting my eyes across the field and progressing quickly, trusting the pocket,” Purdy said on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs, via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jordan Elliott.
“I went back and watched my rookie tape, and on my rookie tape, I got thrown in and all I knew was what the coaches told me and I was a machine that way. There was some good stuff last year too, but I feel like I can get back to those kind of fundamentals. I’m on myself pretty hard. Coach Mick Lombardi, Klay Kubiak, they’re on me right now out in the field pushing me. So, I’m excited about that and I just got to go out and apply it every day in training camp and obviously in the season.”
A part of that could be the lack of chemistry with receivers, given the injuries San Francisco faced in 2024. But, Purdy has put it on himself to get back to the fundamentals, which begins in training camp and hopefully extends out to the season.
It’s a crucial year for Purdy and the 49ers as they look to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season. As San Francisco transitions forward with younger pieces, there’ll be more of an onus on Purdy to produce in 2025. It seems he’s up for the challenge.
