If the San Francisco 49ers' season-opening 30-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday is any indication, the NFL can expect to see a lot more of the type of success Brock Purdy showed down the stretch in 2022 as a rookie, despite him missing the entire offseason due to elbow surgery.
Purdy finished the game with 19 completions on 29 attempts for 220 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions and showed a commanding presence for an offense that rolled up 391 total yards. Purdy became the first quarterback in NFL history on Sunday to win his first six regular season starts while throwing two or more touchdowns in each game, proving that the unexpected rise he made last season from being the final player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft to being the quarterback of the present and future for the 49ers doesn't appear to be fluke.
As 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa said after the win on Sunday, Purdy "shut some haters up" with his performance against the Steelers.
"You definitely need to prove people wrong and show that you're the same player (after an injury)," Bosa told reporters after the game. "And I'm just happy he got an amazing recovery. I think it was quicker than anybody expected, so he was able to get reps throughout the offseason, and he's definitely a good leader for us."
Purdy and the 49ers got things started in a hurry on offense against the Steelers, jumping out to a 7-0 lead on a touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to cap a seven-play, 54-yard drive to start the game. The 49ers added a field goal on their second possession, then made it 17-0 after Aiyuk and Purdy connected again to cap a nine-play, 68-yard drive on their third possession. A field goal on their fourth possession gave the 49ers a 20-0 lead before the midway point in the second quarter and put the Steelers in a hole they couldn't dig out of.
It was clear Purdy and the 49ers had an extra spark to start the game, and there wasn't anything the Steelers could do to put it out.
"I was just excited that we put that (opening) drive together," Purdy said after the game. "Everything was sort of clicking. Defense did their thing. We put a drive together and to cap it off like that to start the season off, I was like, yeah, it's going to be good."
The 49ers added 10 more points in the second half while Purdy and the offense were able to run out some clock to help seal the win. There was one big mistake of note on offense when a strip sack of Purdy gave the Steelers their lone takeaway of the game just over halfway through the third quarter, but for the most part it was hard to find much to complain about from the performance.
"I thought Brock had a good game, made some big plays, got some explosives there in some tight windows," head coach Kyle Shanahan said Sunday. We had some issues in protection -- not just issues -- we knew that going in. Hope he can hold onto it when those do happen just so we don't turn it over and fumble. But I thought Brock had a hell of a game."
If there was any emotion shown by Purdy on Sunday it was due to what happened on the field, not because of what he overcame to get back there after tearing the UCL in his elbow during last season's NFC Championship game. Any relief Purdy may have had after returning from his injury came and went during training camp, which meant Sunday was all about business.
"I mean, honestly, not really," Purdy said. "I think (that happened) more in camp and stuff I felt like that. I feel like right there in that moment, it was like, this is what we're supposed to do. This is what we expect us to do, expect out of ourselves. And once I hit that touchdown, I wasn't thinking (about) surgery or anything like that. It was, man, we're here to win. This is it. This is how we're going to play. And that's where I was at mentally."
Still, it was clear the rest of the 49ers were happy for Purdy on Sunday given what he went through over the summer.
"You see how he played today," left tackle Trent Williams said. "You can't tell he was hurt. So we're proud of Brock. He took everything in stride. He's become our leader and become a quarterback that we can lean on."
There's much riding on the 49ers' decision to stick with Purdy while trading away former first-round pick Trey Lance, but Sunday's game showed why the decision may prove to be the correct one. The remainder of the season can certainly wind up looking different than what happened in Week 1, but on Sunday, the 49ers looked like a team ready to fulfill their vast potential and Purdy looked like the right quarterback to lead them where they expect to go.
"Brock's pretty steady," Shanahan said. "Brock, you don't see much different each day. He's a very faith-based person. I think that gives him his foundation as much as anyone I've been around. He's taken this whole season as good as you can with a quarterback being injured. I mean, I think today was six months ago to where he had that big surgery, and he's done everything he can to come back. And he handles the pressure well and really doesn't change.
"I think that's why the guys love him, and I think that's why he'll continue to get better."
