Banks lauds Purdy’s ‘confidence,’ improved leadership skills

SANTA CLARA — Brock Purdy was quickly thrown into a leadership position when he was named the 49ers' starting quarterback in Week 13 of the 2023 season. The young quarterback's success has not been a surprise for guard Aaron Banks, who saw Purdy's behavior from the first day he arrived at team headquarters. "Brock kind of came in with a certain confidence and kind of swagger that you see in a leader," Banks said after Wednesday's minicamp practice. "And I think he's started to delve more into that the more years he's been at the starting quarterback position." 2024 is the first full offseason for Purdy after getting very few reps as a rookie in 2022 and then not participating on the field in 2023 while recovering from successful UCL surgery. Banks was impressed with Purdy as a rookie and that has not changed. "He was confident then, but he's more confident now," Banks said. "He's kind of taken a more assertive role in the huddle and in the locker room. It's hard to give an example. It's just a feel you get from a guy." Without taking actual reps with the offense throughout the 2023 offseason — including all of training camp, Purdy had remarkable season. The Iowa State product...