SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When Brock Purdy walked off the field after his first playoff trip to Philadelphia, his future was in question.
Purdy went from being the last pick in the 2022 draft to being the incredible starting quarterback in the NFC title game for the San Francisco 49ers in nine months, only to tear a ligament in his right elbow in his first loss.
“You tear your UCL, the ligament that you use as a quarterback, as a thrower, obviously you start to think about your future and other things and also coming back from an injury, and it was late in the year, so I was wondering, am I going to be back in time, am I going to be the guy that comes in for the start of the season? Stuff like that,” Purdy said Thursday. “But now we’ve moved on and are ready to go.”
Purdy returned from major surgery and proved his late-season performance as a rookie was not a flash in the pan, establishing himself as the franchise quarterback for the 49ers (12-5).
He won in his return to Philadelphia in 2023, when he helped San Francisco reach the Super Bowl and led the 49ers back to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles (11-6) on Sunday in a wild-card matchup.
Purdy's concern this week is Vic Fangio's defense, which features stars like Jalen Carter, Quinion Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, as well as a strong Philadelphia team in place of his elbow, which has been fully healed since 2023.
“Obviously we know Philly from how it was there, the environment, the fans and everything,” Purdy said. “He's preparing for it now, not for the memories or anything like that. I already went there in 2023 and played after what happened in '22. So I feel like that's over and I'm ready to move on.”
Purdy recovered from that injury to become an AP NFL MVP finalist for the 2023 season, when he set a franchise record for passing yards and helped the Niners reach the Super Bowl before losing to the Chiefs in overtime.
After struggling with a 6-11 record last season, the Niners returned to the postseason and visited Philadelphia again on Sunday for the wild card round.
It's been a tough season for Purdy, who was rewarded for his early success with a five-year, $265 million contract extension in May. Purdy injured his toe in the season opener and missed the next two games.
He returned and struggled in a Week 4 loss to Jacksonville before missing the next six games with a toe injury. He returned in Week 11 and quickly returned to his old form, leading San Francisco to six straight wins, including five straight touchdowns in primetime wins over Indianapolis in Chicago in Weeks 16 and 17.
This is exactly the kind of play the 49ers are used to seeing from Purdy.
“I have to say when he came out after the first game he played, he looked incredible in that game as well,” running back Christian McCaffrey said. “He's never gotten enough recognition. When I look at his resume and how well he's played throughout his career, he's a special player. He's one of the best defenders in the league… He's always played with such swagger and such energy.”
But Purdy and the San Francisco offense struggled in the regular season finale with a No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage against Seattle. The Niners managed one field goal in a 13-3 loss as Purdy was held to 127 yards on 27 attempts.
Offensive coordinator Clay Kubiak said that served as motivation this week.
“We got hit in the mouth,” Kubiak said. “We didn't play very well and we got beat. That's what happened. I think our guys were a little angry. I think they were disappointed. We were all disappointed with the way we played and the way we coached. It wasn't good.”
Injury Update
The Niners got some good injury news as Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams returned to practice for the first time since injuring his hamstring on the first snap in Week 17.
Receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) remained sidelined but was able to run briefly on the sideline. Midfielder Luke Gifford (quadriceps) did not practice due to restrictions on Wednesday. Defensive lineman Keyon White (hamstring, groin) and linebacker Dee Winters (ankle) were also sidelined.
Tight end George Kittle (ankle), cornerback Jordan Elliott (knee) and cornerback Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) were also limited.
Linebacker Fred Warner, who was sidelined with an ankle injury in Week 6, was able to do some running on the side for the first time during the open portion of practice for reporters.
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