On Thursday, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy offered a candid assessment of his performance this season, refraining from self-praise in what has been a disappointing 2024 campaign.
"I feel more comfortable in who I am, but also like I think I need to get better and get back to playing at the chip on my shoulder, like it was my first two years, of every game, every down, trying to prove to myself that I'm the guy for this team, and I'm capable of doing it," Purdy told reporters.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan disagrees with the self-critique, commending his 24-year-old quarterback for his effort and performance amid a challenging season.
"I don't know at all what he means by that, play with a chip on his shoulder," Shanahan said on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "I think Brock plays with a chip on his shoulder. I think Brock plays as hard as he can. I think Brock's done some real good things.
"I think Brock's first season and a half that he got to play was amazing. I mean, statistically and record-wise, it might be the best in the history of the NFL. That sounds weird to say, but I actually think it might be. It's up there."
Shanahan acknowledged that Purdy's numbers this season haven't matched the lofty standards he set during his first two years. Still, he emphasized that the team's overall struggles have been a significant factor. The 49ers are 6-8, a sharp departure from their usual success, and the blame for that doesn't fall squarely on the quarterback's shoulders.
"We haven't been there, necessarily, in the same spot as a team, offense, defense, or special teams, this year as we were last year," Shanahan explained. "We've had some unfortunate injuries. We didn't start out the same way, and things haven't gone quite as good."
Last season, Purdy delivered a record-breaking campaign, throwing for 4,280 yards—the most in a single season in franchise history. His performances have been less consistent this year, but Shanahan defended the young quarterback's overall play.
"But to say that Brock is a totally different quarterback than he was in these two previous years, I think, would be inaccurate," Shanahan noted. "No, the numbers and everything haven't been there like it was in that historic run, but the team around it hasn't been the same either. So that's kind of what I would expect."
Purdy enters Week 16 against the Miami Dolphins with 3,174 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. His 65.0% completion rate is a career-low, and he's on pace to fall significantly short of last season's passing total.
Despite the decline in production, many anticipate the 49ers will reward Purdy with a contract extension in the upcoming offseason, likely making him one of the NFL's highest-paid players.
You can listen to Shanahan's entire interview below.
