QB Brock Purdy Press Conference

QB Brock Purdy

Press Conference – January 11, 2023

San Francisco 49ers

Welcome to the playoffs. How have these past six games prepared you for what you’re about to face?

“Yeah. I’m not trying to make it bigger than what it is. Obviously, there’s more on the line and everything, but I think having six games under my belt in terms of just playing in an NFL game and trying to win for four quarters has helped me get to this point. And all the guys in the locker room have my back. We’ve all grown together, so we’re ready for what’s ahead.”

You said the other day that the weight of the world’s not on your shoulders because of all the playmakers that you have around you. Is that something that’s been kind of instilled in you since you took over this starting role?

“Yeah, I feel like that’s sort of been my mindset. Right when [QB] Jimmy [Garoppolo] went down all I had to do was go in, do what coach asked of me and get [WR] Deebo [Samuel], BA [WR Brandon Aiyuk], [TE] George [Kittle], [RB] Christian [McCaffrey], all those guys the ball. It hasn’t changed for all the games that I’ve played in so far. That’s still going to be the mindset going into playoffs.”

You’re about to play a team twice for the first time in your career in the NFL. How does that change your preparation, if at all?

“We played them what seems like yesterday, so for myself it’s come back in, what have they done different the last couple games? What did we do to attack them the first time? And go from there, but again, not try to overthink things or do anything crazy, just stick to what coach has dialed up. I’m just going to try to play my game and go from there. Just keep it simple.”

Would you describe your role as a point guard in this offense, spreading the ball around to that many weapons? Did you ever play basketball competitively?

“No, I didn’t. It was just football and baseball, so that answers your question.”

The locker room was very lively today. Have you sensed that energy from everybody since this week started?

“Yeah. [LB] Fred [Warner] said it really well at practice yesterday. He’s like, ‘man, you should feel this feeling in your gut.’ Man, we’re in playoffs. It matters obviously every single day, every meeting, every minute matters, so there’s a good vibe right now going on at practice and in the locker room. It feels good; it’s good energy. We just have to translate it onto the field and be detailed with everything because everything matters, but all the guys are really juiced up.”

The Seattle defense has been playing pretty well the last few weeks. What have you seen from them on film?

“Yeah, I feel like they’re sound. They’re, I think, more disciplined as the season has gone on. They lost a couple of the guys, but still overall I think they play well together. They still have play makers and they’re athletic. They have a veteran in [Seattle Seahawks S Quandre] Diggs at safety, I think overall they’re just a team that you respect, a defense that you respect and they’re going to make you drive and the whole bend, but don’t break mentality, so we have to be on point with what we’re doing to be successful. Definitely a defense that we respect.”

How healthy are you compared the last time you played the Seahawks?

“That’s another thing. I feel really good going into this game, especially since we had a quick turnaround last time, played on Sunday and then we had to be ready to roll for Thursday night and obviously, I had the whole rib thing going on, so I feel a lot better. I’m excited about that, but yeah, I was definitely hurting for that game.”

How has McCaffrey just in his role as a decoy made your job easier? I’m sure you can remember those big plays where you make a pitch to him or look at him and like the defense all sways over to that side of the field. I guess just how has his presence opened things up?

“He is a guy that can obviously run the ball, get the ball out of the backfield with pitches and things and then obviously split him out and run a route, so he does all these things that the defense has to scheme up and try to stop. And so, when you put all that attention on one guy, it opens up guys like George and Deebo and BA, so I love it as a quarterback to have a guy that is so well-rounded like Christian and then even guys like Deebo. Deebo can do the same thing, so I’m definitely lucky and thankful to have them on my team and I just have to do my job and get them the ball.”

Is off-schedule rapport something that you had with George Kittle on day one or is that something you’ve sensed grow with reps with him?

“I feel like it’s taken some time. When I first got in I sort of had to tell the guys, in the Miami game, like, Hey, if it breaks down, I could make something happen off schedule, so that has happened over time. We’ve talked about it at practice and in meetings, what to do if the play’s not there in rhythm or on time, so that’s something that George does a great job with if it’s not there. He has a great sense to find space. I like that a lot.”

Does it help that receivers like George, obviously a big tall guy, but is he good at from your vision as a quarterback at making himself be able to be seen down the field?

“Yeah, I think he does a great job of creating separation for one, and then his frame that he has obviously as a tight end, he’s a great mismatch man and he’s explosive in how he runs routes. He does a great job of just creating space and I know where he is going to be. Like I said, I’m thankful to have George. He’s a freak of nature and we just have to continue to have that connection moving forward for this playoff run.”

Understanding that this game, you’re not trying to make it too big, but as far as lifelong goal, as you get drafted, you make the team, you’re here in this moment, what does this feel like a couple days away from your first playoff start as far as like a lifelong dream as you try to move forward and get to the championship?

“I feel like I’ll do a lot of reflecting after the season. Right now, I’m looking at it like, man, we got the Seahawks. Yes, it’s playoffs, but for myself it’s, I have to do my job. I’m not trying to think about this storybook ending or anything like that. It’s, man, I have a great defense I have to play on Sunday, I have to do my job in terms of getting the guys the ball and all that will fall into place, but definitely thankful for everything that has happened. We still have a ways to go.”

How do you take being in the conversation for a rookie of the year after six games?

“Same thing. I don’t try to get wrapped up in any of that kind of stuff. For me, it’s I have to win for as good as the team that we have, I have to just come in, do my job and let everything else fall in place. Almost like how I answered that other question, it’s sort of the same thing. I don’t want to get wrapped up in all that kind of stuff. It’ll happen if it happens. Whoever wins it, wins it, great, but I’m just trying to be where I’m at, be where my feet are at.”

Did you have the same kind of rapport with your tight end at Iowa State? Same kind of way?

“Are you talking about the off-schedule plays?”

I’m not saying that it’s the same as George, I’m just saying the relationship you have.

“Yeah. [Baltimore Ravens TE] Charlie Kolar and I for sure, we made a lot of plays together. He did a great job of creating separation and I always knew I have a big tight end matched up against a linebacker or safety and I can give him a shot, so Charlie did a great job with the off-schedule plays too, the scrambling, he always had his eyes down field, he saw the game like a quarterback sees it. I think George does the same thing, so definitely similar in a way.”

How many different ways have people tried to attack you so far? Like Miami came out and they just blitzed you, they figured they’d testing a quarterback. It seems like Arizona came physically at you up the middle of the line. How much have you seen so far and how much do you think is still to come?

“I feel like I see something new almost every week, so obviously there’s six games of film out there on me. There’s still things that I’m sure coordinators are going to try to dial up and everything and try to get me to do some something different, but for myself, I just try to stay grounded in what the progression is, what the read is. I don’t know what coordinators are thinking or how they’re going to stop me or what. I feel like I do see different things every single week, so we’ll see.”

You seem really comfortable rolling left, which is unusual for a right-handed quarterback. Why do you think that is?

“I’m not really sure. I’ve asked myself that. I’ve watched film, I’m like, okay, why have I done that? For myself, it’s like, man, I feel pressure and I just try to get out however I can if the play’s not there. I feel like the last couple games, it’s just been to the left by chance, but it’s not something that I go into the play like if this isn’t there, I’m going to escape here or there. It’s just what’s happened so far in the games. That’s really been about it.”