San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy made an immediate impact in his first preseason appearance against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The 49ers bounced back from a 30–9 blowout loss to the Denver Broncos with a last-second 22–19 victory over the Raiders on Saturday.

Jul 23, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) works on passing drills during the first day of training camp at SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

Purdy stepped onto the field as the starter but played only one possession in the entire game.

Despite the very limited time on the field, Purdy produced a significant 12-play drive that resulted in a field goal conversion.

The 25-year-old went 5-for-7 for 66 yards on an efficient opening drive, despite the absence of left tackle Trent Williams.

The connection between him and Ricky Pearsall offered plenty of optimism, especially given the current state of injuries at the wide receiver position.

“I thought it was awesome, just getting out there in a game situation, and getting ready for a game, third down, getting loud in the environment,” Purdy shared with media post-game. “Those are all things that are tough to actually try to emulate in practice.

“So, to be able to come out here, and be in that moment, and have to look at guys in the huddle, and break the huddle, and be loud with my cadence, and drop back, go through my reads, and make the throw, those are all things that obviously are real, and you’re going to see in the season.

“So, to be able to get that in preseason, and that feel again, felt really good. Obviously, we’ll watch film and try to always find ways to get better, but I thought, overall, it was pretty good.”

Shanahan: Purdy completed the task at hand

Aug 9, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches from the sidelines in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Kyle Shanahan’s only expectation for his starting quarterback was to put together a strong opening drive before handing off to Mac Jones.

“I thought it was a good drive,” Shanahan said. “I was happy with those guys. That was the goal, to hopefully have one long drive and get them out. I thought they did a good job.”

While this was accomplished, it remains to be seen whether Purdy or the rest of the starters will play in the final preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

“We’ll see how this week goes,” Shanahan said. “We’ve got a long week [ahead]. I love that we’ve got three practices in a row for ourselves. Then, we’ll take a day off, and then get ready for the Chargers.

“But we’ll see how this week goes with Brock and with the rest of our starters. We’d love the guys to play, but just gotta measure it out, and how this week goes.”

With injuries continuing to mount, the 49ers must tread lightly. Sometimes, it’s best not to take the risk.