QB Brock Purdy Press Conference

QB Brock Purdy

Press Conference – December 7, 2023

San Francisco 49ers

Has anything changed since now you’re considered an NFL MVP favorite?

“Nothing’s changed. Yeah, I’m about my process and my week this week against the Seahawks and that’s it.”

How cool does it feel to run off the field in Philly last week, having all those Niner fans there chanting your name? That had to be kind of a cool moment for you?

“Yeah, I mean, just the support that you get from The Faithful and when we go on the road games, even if it’s east coast, they show up and they’re there all the way through. So to be able to pull out a great win like that and then run off the field and have them still be there supporting all of our guys running out was special for all of us.”

On your first touchdown throw to WR Brandon Aiyuk, was that right where you wanted it where you knew he was going to have to lay out?

“I think we weren’t necessarily both on the same page. I thought the defender [Philadelphia Eagles S Reed] Blankenship was actually going to try to undercut it and then he ended up stopping, so I just led him to make sure. And then B.A. sort of had to make a second effort to dive and get it. So, it was a great play on him. Yeah, I probably could have been a little better on the throw, but he saved me on it.”

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was talking about WR Jauan Jennings yesterday and was saying that the only thing that holds him back is us. With the rest of the supporting cast, he’s just not going to get the ball all that often but that he’s always ready and he’s always dependable. What’s been your observation of him since you got here?

“Yeah, he’s so consistent. J.J. brings so much juice and swagger to the team, like when he catches the ball and he converts a first down, everyone feeds off it and you could see it. He has fun playing the game, in meetings, around this place, in the locker room. J.J., he’s got a different vibe to him and we all love it. We feed off it. So for him to be able to get those balls like he did in the game, some crucial third-down conversions and then obviously the touchdown, well worth it. We love him.”

In the previous Seattle game, he had one where it didn’t look like it was possible that he would make the first down, and I think he made maybe four guys miss by the time he got there. Do you recall that play? Did you have a look at it or were you out on your back or something at the time?

“Yeah, I threw the ball and we all just watched. And it’s like, all right, you just sort of just see him make all these guys miss and keep going, but J.J.’s done that in multiple games dating back the last two years. You get him the ball and he makes guys miss and finds a way to get a first down somehow, someway. That dude’s got some dog in him, he’s got some fight and like I said, we all feed off it. J.J. just brings a lot of joy and drive and fire to this team, more than people know.”

With his touchdown in the last game, the Eagles game, how aware are you of when a blitz is coming how well it’s picked up? Is it just as simple as like, ‘I was able to get the ball off, which is great,’ or like when you go back and watch, ‘wow, RB Christian McCaffrey stepped up and made this blitz pickup and that was even better than I realized?’

“Yeah, I mean obviously we have a protection called and then you could start to see like the coverage is tight, everyone’s low, we know that I’m probably going to be hot so I know that Christian’s going to get the A gap here, I’m going to be free with the guy off the edge. But, it’s putting the trust and faith that the guys up front are all going to do their assignment, get their guy. I know this guy on the edge is going to be free, so now I’ve got to put my trust in J.J. in his route and know that I probably don’t have time for a hitch. I’ve got to plant, do like a five plant, throw the ball, everyone’s doing their job and convert. That’s something that we’ve done since training camp. We did that all throughout OTAs and camp with drills on being hot, pass protections, all that kind of stuff and then it pays off on a crucial third down in Philadelphia in Week 13.”

How much does that trust grow in terms of like maybe Week 1 you believe it’s going to happen, but now you have all these examples of it happening? How does trust in kind of everybody doing exactly the right thing at the right time grow over the course of the season?

“Yeah, I think early on in the season, it’s not that you have to knock off rust, but it’s, man, you’ve got to play together, you’ve got to learn how guys move and can pick things up, especially with the guys up front. And then as the season goes, you start to feel like, all right, this is who we are. This is how my guys up front play. This is where I can step up in the pocket and then obviously trust them to pick up stuff that’s coming late, like blitzes and whatnot. They’ve all done a great job throughout the year. I feel like we’ve all gotten better. Looking at the first game in Pittsburgh until now, we have gotten better. But, there’s always still some areas where we can all be better and it starts with myself, with pocket movements and stuff. But yeah, definitely that trust and faith has gotten better since game one, so I’m really excited.”

You’ve faced the Seahawks more than any other opponent now. What’s your mindset when it comes to kind of a familiar foe like that?

“They’ve got good players, some really good dudes that have a lot of experience and stuff, obviously with [Seattle Seahawks LB] Bobby Wagner and then [Seattle Seahawks CB Quandre] Diggs in the backfield or in in the secondary. Some boys that are playing corner that have got some experience now under their belts. So for us it’s like, man, they can make plays, they’re smart, they play a bend but don’t break kind of defense. And so, it’s always a challenge when we play them every single time. It’s not like, ‘oh, we’ve beaten them, so we’re just going to walk in this game.’ It’s not like that. It’s the NFL. They’re a team right now who needs to win and so do we. It’s going to be a dog fight like it always is. We respect the heck out of Seattle and anytime we play them we know it’s always going to be a dog fight. That’s how we look at it.”

Do you think you’re representing the organization well right now, standing up there at the podium wearing a backwards hat?

“Man, I guess that’s who I am and I think so.”

Have you heard what the media is saying about that?

“Some guys have told me in the locker room and stuff, but I don’t buy into all that kind of stuff. I’m just trying to play quarterback and win games.”

Wednesday and Thursday is when you guys typically install. Is that a surprise to you as far as the game plan? Are you seeing it for the first time or does Kyle consult with you on Monday and Tuesday about some of the things that maybe you want in the game plan that week or is Wednesday your first day?

“Yeah, Wednesday’s usually my first day. I’ll go in and talk to him on the off days and just sort of get an idea of like what we’re thinking. But then the first time I see the plays is on Wednesday and it’s because they’re doing all their studying and prep. They want everything to be perfect for when we see it for the first time. Do I like it? Yeah, I trust in them. I’d like them to prepare as coaches and give us the best game plan as possible, but it’s worked since I’ve been here.”

With the throw to Christian down the sideline on the little wheel route, Christian told me that there was an adjustment made on that play between you two before. Can you kind of specify what you did and how much did the trust aspect work into that because that ball seemed to come out before he was even close to making his move against the linebacker?

“Yeah, I mean earlier in the game he ran a route that wasn’t exactly that route, but a route that was similar. And he said once we get to that third-down route that you’re talking about he said I’m going to set him up like I did on this last route and sort of go outside a little bit and then take it up. So, we had talked about it on the sideline. He’s the one that came up and told me what he expects and I trusted him. So once that third down came around, he made his move and then sure enough went up the field, got the backer to bite and it was a huge third-down conversion, so that was props to him.”

You always talk about your process and then focusing on just the challenge of getting better. Are you able to appreciate just how well you have played and are playing?

“In a sense. But like I said before, there’s always so many areas I feel like I can get better, really. Just within the operation of our offense, some reads, being consistent. I look at that last game and I look at the first two drives and it’s like, man, we’re a couple plays away from really having our foot on the gas pedal from the jump. And so, that’s where I’m hard on myself and so I sort of look at those things and I always want to get better in that area. But at the same time, playing in the NFL, winning some games, you do have to take a step back and be able to look at it and be thankful for what’s going on. Obviously we have a bigger goal in mind and that’s where I have to stay even-keeled and keep chipping forward.”

How quickly are you aware of what you should have done or could have done before you get there and like after the play’s gone you’re going to the bench to talk to coaches? How quickly do you know where you could have done better?

“I feel like in the heat of the moment, obviously if something doesn’t go our way or my way in terms of my read, my throw, whatever it is and I’m jogging off the field it’s like I feel like I sort of have an idea of like where I was wrong. But, I always love hearing feedback and stuff from [quarterbacks Coach Brian] Griese, [QB] Sam [Darnold] and [QB] Brandon [Allen] and then obviously Shanahan. Every once in a while he’ll chime in, but I feel like it’s sort of a thing whereas I’m jogging off, it’s like, ‘dude, you should have done this, you should have done that.’ But, at the same time you play four quarters for a reason so I can’t let it get to me. I have to learn from it quick and then make adjustments and then go try to be successful the next time I’m on the field.”

This franchise has had Pro Football Hall of Fame QBs Joe Montana and Steve Young. You’re on pace with your numbers to set franchise records and some of them would be like in the top-20 in NFL history, like passer rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt. Considering where you were not that long ago to that type of stuff, do you ever like have a moment where you’re like, ‘dang, this is pretty wild?’

“I mean, I guess in a sense. For me, I’ve always known that this whole thing, just life in itself is just a process. You can’t just wake up one day and graduate high school and then be like, ‘all right, I’m going to go play in the NFL in a couple years.’ It’s like, no, I have to go earn the respect for the guys in my in my college program. I’ve got to start. I’ve got to win games. I’ve got to get experience. Once I get to the NFL, there’s a process of doing it all over again. And so, I’ve just taken it one step at a time and then once I get my opportunity all I’m focused on is trying to play quarterback and win games for the Niners and then all the other stuff sort of just happens as you go. I don’t wake up in the morning thinking I’m going to do this or that. It’s how can I be the best today? How can I handle my business for the guys in the locker room and this organization and everything else sort of falls into place.”