San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy admitted that arm fatigue was a concern last season as he managed his recovery from surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. Despite this, Purdy delivered a stellar 2023 campaign, setting a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards.
So, how does Purdy feel a year later? Is arm fatigue still an issue?
"I feel pretty good," Purdy shared Tuesday on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "You know, getting through a whole year of throwing and then an actual offseason to work on my arm and everything, it feels really good. It feels strong. It feels back to normal, everything just like how I felt before surgery. And so I feel really good with it.
"Always working on little things with arm strength and arm maintenance and all that kind of stuff, especially for the amount of throwing that we do as NFL quarterbacks. And so that's always going to be an emphasis for me and my career, but it feels 100% healthy."
Purdy noted that his arm strength feels "healthy in general" and similar to last season. He acknowledged that his arm experienced some fatigue as last season progressed, which required extra treatment and rest throughout the weeks.
"But now, the recovery process of it—like after I throw during a week—it feels really good, like we're coming off a rest day," Purdy added. "So, yeah, feels 100%."
Purdy's arm showed no signs of strain in his pinpoint throw to George Kittle on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, hitting his tight end in the back corner of the end zone from beyond the 20-yard mark for the touchdown.
PURDY. KITTLE. SIX.
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Purdy admitted that Kittle was initially trying to clear space for the last target in his progression, running back Christian McCaffrey. Then, Purdy noticed Kittle had gained leverage over his defender.
"Sure enough, he came down, toe-tapped it," Purdy said.
Reflecting on his journey from rookie backup to franchise quarterback, Purdy acknowledged there's no time to coast. Constant improvement is essential in the ever-evolving NFL landscape.
"It's been just crazy in general, from getting thrown in my rookie year and just kind of trying to learn the ropes of the NFL and playing NFL quarterback," Purdy said. "And then, coordinators scheming you up and just having to be on top of every play, every moment, all the time, and not taking a breath to think that you've got it made. You have to be on it all the time.
"And so, that's something that I've learned over the last couple of years. And more than anything, how can I simplify the game plan in my mind every Sunday and just not overcomplicate things or not overthink things? But in my mind, at the end of the day, just continue to be a competitor with a chip on my shoulder, and trying to just play for my teammates, play for the guys around me. That's what football is. You don't want to make it more than that."
Purdy also discussed his growing partnership with head coach Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers' offensive play-caller. Purdy is on track to surpass the passing record he set last season, which reflects Shanahan's increasing trust in the third-year quarterback.
"Playing in Kyle's offense, I think he's gained a lot of trust in me, and we've been able to have some more answers and play-calling going on," Purdy said. "But we're continuing to figure each other out, and learn with each other, and grow with each other as we go."
You can listen to the entire Purdy interview below.
