QB Brock Purdy Press Conference

QB Brock Purdy

Press Conference – December 6, 2024

San Francisco 49ers

What is your connection to Samaritan’s Purse for My Cause My Cleats and why did you select them for your cause?

“I was just thinking about if I’m going to have a chance to raise money, I’d like to hopefully do it with an organization that legitimately impacts and helps people in need. And so, with Hurricane Helene that just came through, I just looked at organizations that were on the ground, hands on, helping. Samaritan’s Purse has done that and they are doing that. And so, I chose them and hopefully we can raise some money to go help out people in need with the hurricane relief.”

Can you talk about your connection with WR Jauan Jennings and how it’s developed over the last couple years and how, I guess, the comfort level you have with him when he’s running the routes with his body language where you know where he’s going to be where he needs to be on time?

“I think he does a good job with using his frame and creating separation with just how big he is. And he’s a guy that I feel like has actually got some underrated speed. And it may not look like that, but he really does. He gets up on guys quick and gets out of cuts pretty well. And his radius for the ball and stuff is really good. So, definitely trusting him. He’s an easy guy, as a quarterback, to see, run his routes as a target, know where he is going to be and just give him a chance and he’ll come down with it. And so, we’ve definitely grown in that area but would like to continue to get him more targets and get him the ball whenever we can, in the right matchups, in the right situation.”

How would you compare the demands and pressures of being an NFL quarterback that is on a team that’s on a roll and headed to the playoffs as opposed to one that’s lost a few games in a row and is now fighting for its life in terms of how you prepare and the outlook and all that?

“I think just what you’re trying to do as a leader matters with trying to get into the playoffs, what you’ve got to do for your job and then trying to elevate other people around you and their job. Whereas, if you’re on a team where everything’s good and you’re winning games and you know that you have some room to honestly fail and know that you’re going to still make it and stuff, I feel like that’s just a little bit different. But right now, the sense of urgency has just got to be higher and it’s got to be on all the time. And we have no room to really slip up right now, not a lot of margin for error. So for me it’s like, I’ve got to be on top of my stuff, my game, and just make sure the standard is still there within our team and hold everybody to the standard to win here. So that’s how I look at it.”

This three-game losing streak has obviously kind of has things in somewhat of a desperate situation. With Seattle you had a bum shoulder, then you couldn’t play, and then you’re in a snowstorm. How frustrating is it that you haven’t been, for various reasons, maybe able to function at the peak of your powers?

“It’s been tough. That’s just sort of how the last three games have gone. But that’s the NFL, this game is physical. You’ve got to be able to overcome those kinds of things and find a way. And I feel like the good teams, the good players, they don’t have excuses. They find a way to get it done for their team and give it their all when they can, physically when they can. So that’s just been how the last three games have gone. But for me, it hasn’t been woe is me. I’m like, ‘Dude, that’s the NFL, that’s life and that’s the challenge in front of us and what are we going to do about it?’ So it’s more of, as motivation for me and how am I going to answer this kind of stuff and how am I going to be there for my team when things aren’t always perfect? This is, I think, really where you see people for who they are. And so, that’s how I’m looking at it. And honestly, I’m excited for the challenge. I think I’m the guy for that.”

Are you going to take more out of this year to be a better quarterback in the future out of the hard things you’ve learned this year as opposed to before when things were going well?

“For sure. I really do think you can learn so much when things aren’t going your way for who you are, for the guys around you, how guys respond and react to adversity rather than everything’s perfect, you’re winning games, and everyone thinks that it’ll never end and you’ll always be perfect. You can learn some things from that, but not a whole lot. But I think when you face some adversity, that’s really where true colors show, all that kind of stuff. But more than anything, how you respond to it and how the respect you’ve earned from other guys when you can show that you can get out of it and you can pull through and be the guy to lead the way. So learning a lot right now for sure as a young quarterback in the NFL.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was just saying that at the end of training camp, this team wasn’t where he hoped it would be or thought it might be. Obviously, you guys had a lot of injuries, you had canceled joint practice, all that. Were there any warning signs, or did you get a sense that this was going to be a little bit more of an uphill climb than it has been in the past going into this year and how has that kind of manifested as the year started?

“No one really knew early in the year, like you said, canceling the inner squad, practices and stuff, no one knew. Where we were in the moment, like that’s just what happened. And so we were like alright, let’s be smart. We’ll cancel those, focus on our team and getting healthy and obviously we’ve had a lot of guys get banged up and injured this year. But more than anything, like that’s just where we’re at. That’s just how it’s gone this year. Obviously, no one wants to be in this kind of situation and the standard that we have here to be excellent and to play well, we just haven’t lived up to that. But, with that being said, we still have five games ahead of us and what we can control right now is manning up and going out and competing and playing a physical game at a high level this Sunday. That’s got to be our mindset. Not, ‘oh man, this happened, or this happened and season’s over.’ That’s no one’s mindset in this building, I can tell you that. We’re going to give it our all and we’ve just got to execute and play better. Simple as that. No matter who’s out there, who’s hurt, none of that stuff I think matters. I think we still have the right guys in here and enough guys and enough firepower to go out and win.”

We’ve seen glimpses of greatness from WR Ricky Pearsall, but the last few weeks, it seems like you guys are having a hard time connecting. Is there any reason for that? Are they taking him away? Are you struggling to find him in the pattern?

“Obviously I’d love to get Ricky the ball as many times as we can. I know that he’s explosive and he does a good job with creating separation in man coverage. So as a quarterback, it’s like, dude, for sure I want to get him the ball and I love the kid, he’s awesome. But for some reason, just with how the game has gone when I’ve been in there and stuff, I just haven’t been able to connect to him within the last three games. So for me, it’s not like I’m freaking out going, ‘alright, Ricky and I, our chemistry’s off’ this or that. That’s just how the game’s gone. Going through progressions, I’ve hit some other guys. I don’t know exactly why Ricky hasn’t been like a certain target in a certain play. It’s just I’m going through my progressions and that’s it. Going into a game, like I said, I want to get everybody the ball as best as I can. J.J., [TE] George [Kittle], [WR] Deebo [Samuel Sr.], Ricky, all those guys deserve it and I want to play for them and get them the ball as much, but that’s just how the last three games have gone.”