Like Trey Lance, QB Brock Purdy is benefitting from 49ers defense’s practice philosophy

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has taken the NFL by storm, becoming the first rookie quarterback since 1950 to win his first three NFL starts, which has extended the team's winning streak to eight games.

Purdy has clearly developed from his training camp days, where he earned minimal reps and was fighting for a roster spot with veteran Nate Sudfeld, but how has that come to fruition so quickly?

There's one clear answer, which a certain 49ers player acknowledged following the game: being challenged daily by the elite 49ers defense, similarly to how Trey Lance was during the offseason.

Jimmie Ward on Brock Purdy

Following San Francisco's win over the Washington Commanders, reporters spoke with Jimmie Ward about Brock Purdy and his practice habits, to which the veteran defensive back stressed the importance of practice.

"[In practice], don't care about throwing a pick. Work on your craft. Work on your timing, Ward said. "That's what I see in him. He threw a pick. OK. He didn't sweat it. He went to the sideline, made corrections, came back in, and threw some touchdowns."

Ward specifically addressed the importance of practicing like you play, which helps a quarterback get acclimated quicker and maintain their poise and composure.

"That's why people always say don't take practice for granted," Ward stressed. "Practice like you play, and he is a prime example. He practices how he plays, and he was using those reps versus the ones on defense and he was taking advantage of it."

Similar to Trey Lance treatment?

This isn't the first time we've heard these words out of Jimmie Ward's mouth.

During the offseason, Jimmie Ward and the defense shared a similar mentality towards first-year starter Trey Lance in order to best prepare him the season.

Ward and Lance are locker mates, and they shared insightful, but also competitive remarks, to help the young quarterback continue to improve his craft.

"He's my locker mate, so we talk every day," Ward said. "If I get him on a play he will come and ask me about it. 'What defense were you playing in?' Or 'What made you bite on this route and go to this area?' We chop it up like that. We try to make each other better."

Still, Ward's competitiveness comes out in the relationship, which led to back-and-forth encounters between the two to challenge Lance in practice.

"Oh, we just talk sh** to each other every day, or every other day," Ward said about Lance. "I tell him, 'Hey, how come you try to throw this ball at me?' You're not going to be able to fit this in [during the season]. You gotta look somewhere else. Or, 'Hey, I'm gonna lean to your X wide receiver, so I'm gonna force you to throw backside and you're gonna have to read the defense.'"

Lance himself acknowledged the importance of the competitive nature, which forced him to be at his best in order to perform at a high level.

Speaking with Albert Breer on the defense, Lance shared how the elite defense actually helped in preparation, which was vital for his development.

"They bring it every single day," Lance said. "We know they're going to do that. I know if I'm not on it or we're not on it, they're going to make us look really, really bad. So I just know I need to be prepared to go every single day. They don't take any days off at all, and you can see the intensity, you can feel it every single day."

"There's nothing more I could ask for, in that sense, going against the best defense in the league every day."

This is the culture that the 49ers are trying to instill to improve their team, and it doesn't just stay between the players.

Kyle Shanahan's preference

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said in the offseason that he enjoyed his quarterbacks taking the risks and working through plays to understand what works, which is what practice is for.

"I just like that [the quarterbacks are] ripping it," Shanahan said. "What you don't want guys to do, especially in training camp, is say, 'I thought it was there, but I don't want to throw a pick, so I checked it down.' Sometimes you need to know whether it was there and the only way you do that is by letting it rip."

While there can be a threshold for mistakes, Shanahan prefers that his quarterbacks go through their issues to better understand what suits their skillset, which helps him protect his players best.

"That's why you don't kill guys for picks in practice," Shanahan said. "If it becomes too much then you have to start coaching them how not to do it, but at least you got an idea of what they're capable of, what they can make, the plays that they can make. So then as a coach, you can somewhat protect him a little bit or you realize man, he's going to throw that no matter what. So I have to make sure I want to get that first right look. And that's what we're working through right now."

How Brock Purdy has benefitted

It appears that Purdy is now facing similar treatment from the defense that Trey Lance does, which is important as it helps the rookie quarterback work through his mistakes and perform better on gamedays.

While Purdy's skillset may not be elite, there's a certainty about him that has impressed fellow teammates: the work ethic he possesses daily.

Running back Christian McCaffrey praised Brock Purdy for helping out during the running back's adjustment, while noting the way the rookie carries himself in practice.

"The first couple days I figured out a lot about him and his mentality and his work ethic and wanting to be great and wanting to help out," McCaffrey said. "He jumped at the opportunity and I'm really appreciative for it."

Dre Greenlaw, Purdy's locker mate, shared similar thoughts on the rookie's preparation, which allows him to work through the 49ers' practice formula and execute at an efficient level come gamedays.

"I just know the preparation that he puts in," Greenlaw shared. "He's always ready to go. Like I said, Brock is just a baller. We've been going against him for 13 weeks-plus, since he's been here, and he's shown us every day that he can get it done."

Fellow offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill shared a funny remark on his quarterback that sums up the rookie's character:

"He prepares all the time," Brunskill said. "Brock says 'No, I gotta go study.'"

In his short stint as the 49ers quarterback, it's clear that Purdy is benefitting from the competitiveness of his defense, as well as the 49ers' practice philosophy, while earning the respect of his teammates via his immeasurables.

Now, the next task for the rookie quarterback is finishing out the season strong, which could place the 49ers in a position to earn at least two home playoff games in January.

• Rohan Chakravarthi
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  Rohan Chakravarthi
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