The San Francisco 49ers are hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Week 11 showdown and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has used it as an opportunity to reflect on quarterback Brock Purdy and his progression since Week 14 of last year, when he started his first NFL game against the Buccaneers.
“I think it was a pretty good foreshadowing on how he’s handled everything for the next 16 games,” Shanahan said, via the official team transcript.
Purdy was excellent in his first career NFL start against the Buccaneers, completing 16 of his 21 pass attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Purdy also had two carries, which he converted into three rushing yards and a touchdown. The 49ers won 35-7, solidifying Purdy’s role as the team’s starting quarterback.
Purdy carried that momentum forward, impressively winning his first 10 regular-season starts. He led the 49ers to an appearance in the NFC Conference Championship last season before suffering a torn UCL during the game. Overall, Purdy is 13-4 in his 17 career starts including the playoffs.
It has been a remarkable start to Purdy’s NFL career, especially when considering that he was the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, also known as “Mr. Irrelevant.” It is safe to say that Purdy has become more than relevant despite the label that comes with his draft position. He is now the starting quarterback of one of the best teams in the NFL with Super Bowl aspirations.
The Buccaneers will hope to do a better job of containing Purdy this time around.
