QB Brock Purdy Press Conference

QB Brock Purdy

Press Conference – February 2, 2024

San Francisco 49ers

Yesterday, 49ers CEO Jed York was telling a story that head coach Kyle Shanahan came up to him the first week of training camp and said QB Brock Purdy’s the best quarterback on the roster already. When did you have an idea of how much Kyle believed in you?

“When I first got here, I was obviously just trying to learn the playbook and compete every day as hard as I could on the field. And then, over time, I didn’t really know ever. I was going through the preseason games. He wasn’t really saying much. Obviously, he was trying to develop [Dallas Cowboys QB] Trey [Lance] as best as he could and all that and we were all being there for Trey and helping Trey out. And then when the season sort of came around and I found out I made the team, I was like, oh, okay, I think he respects the way I play and how I handle things. And that was really about it. And then, I got my opportunity against Miami and we sort of talked after that and that’s sort of when he started telling me like, ‘hey, since you’ve been here, you’ve been doing everything right.’ That kind of thing. So that was really about it though.”

How much has the 2019 Super Bowl been used on tape from Kyle this week? Or is that too far back?

“When you talk about sort of just the history of the two teams, we’ve talked about it, the Super Bowl and the stage and sort of how that game went. But in terms of like scheme and stuff, it’s different, I’d say. We’re obviously studying this year’s team against the Chiefs and what they’ve done the last however many games this year. And yeah, so that’s really where our mindset is at and moving forward.”

Your life has been pretty much a whirlwind for the last year and now it’s like a tornado basically going into the Super Bowl, everything that goes into it. Kyle had talked about everybody wanting their affairs in order before you go there. Are you all fixed up with your family, everybody from Arizona that’s going? Are you a part of that at all? What do you know about that part of it?

“Yeah, I don’t have a big group or anything going to the Super Bowl, it’s really just my immediate family, my fiancé’s immediate family. That’s really about it. So, obviously it’s a big game and trying to handle everything up until we leave and get on the plane to go to Vegas. Just in terms of who’s going to the game, all that kind of stuff. Obviously, our scheme and what we’re trying to do against the Chiefs so that when we get on the plane and we’re going through all this stuff throughout the week we understand what we’re trying to do and the plays that we’re running and all that stuff. So, I think it’s huge and Kyle’s harped on it. Like, we want to handle everything before we get on this plane this week as if we were playing this week. So, it’s been good. It’s been efficient.”

It seemed like LB Fred Warner had an extended huddle with you guys yesterday before practice started. What’s been his message to the team and what’s been the overall message from the veterans about this week and the practices this week?

“Yeah, I mean obviously every practice, every moment matters. We all understand the stage that this game is going to be played on and you don’t want to get to Vegas and with all the stuff going on let all that other stuff on the outside get in the way. And so, Fred and all the vets really have been just harping on every moment right now, this week is huge. And so, at the same time, who we are as a team is good enough and we just have to continue to do what we’ve done all year, every single practice, nothing lackadaisical or just chill at practice. Still bring the intensity and everything every day as best as we can. So, that’s what Fred has harped on and that’s what all the vets have been saying too. And we’re totally behind it. Everyone else is. Obviously, I think once we get to Vegas we’ll start feeling it even more, but at the same time, we have to do what we’ve done all season long because that’s good enough.”

What crossover have you had with Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes over your career? Did you talk to him after that game in 2022?

“I haven’t talked to him or anything. So, obviously respect the heck out of who he is and as a player and what he’s done in the league. It’s fun to watch, but I haven’t had any interaction with him.”

Does TE George Kittle’s personality keep things loose on game days?

“Yeah. He keeps it fun, man. Like, he just has a good perspective on playing the game of football. Obviously, you have to be so detailed in what you do and every little play and moment is huge. We all get that. But George sort of brings us back to, ‘Hey, we’re playing a game, we can have fun with this.’ We have such a good team and you never know if we’re going to have a team like this again kind of thing. So, he is like, let’s enjoy every single snap that we have together, every drive, every game. And sometimes I’m a little annoyed, I’m like, come on dude, let’s get into it. But he brings me back down to having some fun with the game. So we all love it.”

I don’t know if you can quantify it, but how important is it to have sort of a variety of leaders and communicators and the different styles people have on this team?

“It’s awesome because you get to talk to guys all the time about their experiences throughout their years and their career. Obviously, their experiences here. I’m talking to [DL] Arik Armstead and what it was like in 2019 for him, and obviously even when he first got here and what it was like until now. And same with George and Fred, [LB] Dre Greenlaw, his rookie year playing the Super Bowl. Same with [WR] Deebo [Samuel]. Like, you’ve got all these guys that have played in big moments and big games and all those things have added up to their experiences and you get to ask about them to them. And so, everyone’s got a little different perspective and maturity to them. So for me, as a young guy in the league, it’s pretty fun. And I’m very blessed to have those kind of guys because I get to ask them and everyone’s got a new perspective on it and everyone’s mature and everyone understands what it takes. So, for all of us young guys on the team, we’re very lucky to have those older guys to sort of put their arms around us and sort of teach us the way.”

How much have you asked just this week, particularly about the Super Bowl and what kind of lessons have you taken from those conversations?

“I’ve asked a bunch of guys really throughout the last couple weeks and so just as the playoffs has rolled around, the big games, the moments, what changes, what their mindsets are. I’ve asked almost all the guys. And so, I’ve taken something away from every single guy. I’m not really going say specific things from specific people, but all I can say is the leadership and the experience with these guys here, you could tell how much the guys are hungry for one because you never know when an opportunity like this comes around. Like Trent Williams, he’s played forever and he hasn’t had an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl and play in one yet. So, this is huge but every single guy’s got a cool perspective.”

Have you reached out to any quarterbacks who have been through this? Just get their perspective on what this week’s going be like?

“I’ve talked to [former NFL QB] Kurt Warner just through some interviews and stuff, sort of what he went through throughout his Super Bowl experiences. [Former 49ers QB] Steve Young, a tiny bit, nothing crazy yet. Hopefully I’ll be able to reach out to him and talk. But outside of that, it’s been such a whirlwind with our games played and practices and everything now and who we are as a team.”

The last two games, you guys have gotten off to slow starts, but you’ve finished fast. How do you reverse that? How do you get off to a faster start in this game? Is there anything that you can think of that would maybe help you guys get off to a faster start on that?

“I feel like all of us, we’re sort of learning just that chip on our shoulder, the mindset of our backs being against the wall and we need it. That’s when our best style of ball comes out and we all step up to the plate and play our best. So, whatever that mindset is early on, we need to get to it. And so, obviously we need to do a better job with third downs early in the game and converting on those and staying on the field. But I mean, when we needed to come back, we step it up, we pick it up, the intensity, everyone’s just on it and on point. So, if we can have that kind of mindset early on, just like we have all year and come out firing away, I think that’s when our defense plays well with that. So that’s something that we all have to talk about and be better at for sure. And that starts with me.”

Jed York told a story yesterday about when one of the first meetings happened with the team here in Santa Clara that your parents were there taking notes and he saw that and thought it was different. How much have your parents helped you and supported you throughout this journey and how are they going to support you this week going into your biggest game?

“Obviously everything that I do in my life, what I believe and knowing that I’m loved by my parents, it’s been huge for me. It sort of allows me to just go and play and know that they’ve always got my back. That’s been huge for me. And so, obviously their perspective on life and how they’ve handled their life, I’ve looked up to that a lot. And so, obviously when I first got here, they were just working hard, just like I was in terms of how parents in the NFL can support their kid and they’ve done a great job and a tremendous job with that. And obviously this week more than anything, they’re going to love on me, support me, and win or lose they’re going to always have my back and as a player and as a person to know that it’s huge.”

I spoke to your mom this weekend and she mentioned that when she asked you what do you wanted to do, you kept saying, I want play football. And as a mom, she was very concerned and asked what’s your plan B? But you never had one. At that moment. Did you ever imagine you would actually be playing football and on your way to a Super Bowl?

“For me, my mindset was I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to give it my shot. That’s up to God if he’s going to allow me to play football or not or go a different direction. And so that was my honest point to my mom. I was like, I’m going to give it my all and I don’t know what plan B is, but God will lead me where he needs me if it’s not to be. So, I kept telling my mom that and so in the back of her mind I’m sure she was a little worried, but more than anything, I know that she supports me and loves me and it’s been a blessing this last year and a half with her supporting me through it all.”

Did you see the billboards of you in Arizona last week?

“Yeah. So we know, we know the guy that did that. His name’s Kevin Row, he’s the man. But yeah, he’s just got my support out there and he’s a family friend, so he put ‘Let’s Go Brock Purdy’ on all his billboards around Arizona and a bunch of family friends were reaching out about it, so it was pretty cool.”

You threw that pass to WR Brandon Aiyuk because you trusted him. If you actually talked to guys that he went to even junior college with, they thought it was a great catch, but they said we saw that all the time in practice. Is that kind of why you trusted him because you’ve seen that too?

“Yeah. I mean, you can go back to camp, OTAs, you name it. The kind of catches that B.A. makes at practice, it’s pretty insane. Just his range and his ability to move in the air, all of it, all into one. And so yeah, when there’s a moment like that, he’s definitely one of the guys I can trust to just throw it up 50/50 and B.A.’s going to make a play. So, he is very acrobatic. He can track a ball really well, all of it. And so, like I said, one of the most underrated receivers in the league, I think he’s one of the best in the league for me to just throw a ball up like that. You definitely as a quarterback know and trust that he’s going to come down with it.”

Those intermediate throws that are kind of over a linebacker, between the safety caught between the hash marks, and sometimes there like four or five defenders kind of in the area, does that take a certain level? I mean, obviously you have to trust that your guy’s going to be there. Does it take gut sometimes to let that ball go when there’s that much traffic and they’re not game manager throws?

“Yeah, I mean at the end of the day, I think it’s anticipation, it’s trust with your receivers. We run these routes time and time again, like I said, going back to OTAs and camp and stuff. So that’s where it starts. And then once you get in the heat of battle, obviously I think it comes down to film study, what the coverage is saying as I’m dropping back and where I’m anticipating the guy to be and to trust my guy to get under it over a backer, all those kinds of things, they all come into that play. So, it’s not like I’m just dropping back and throwing blind and hoping my guy’s going to be there. No. It comes down to understanding what the defense is doing, what we’re trying to do, where my guy’s going be and throwing it on time more than anything. So that’s what it comes down to.”