Purdy reflects fondly on his first NFL snaps against the Chiefs in 2022 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA — Almost exactly two years ago, in Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season, Brock Purdy attempted his first pass as a 49ers quarterback against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi’s Stadium.
It was a short lived experience with cleaning up after Jimmy Garoppolo, then departing left the field in a 44-23 game that was already out of reach.
Purdy led a 10-play, 67-yard drive before throwing a pass intended for Jauan Jennings that was intercepted by Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill to close out the game. Purdy recalled the whirlwind of his first real NFL action on Thursday, just days before San Francisco faces Kansas City on Sunday at home.
“We actually kind of joke about it,” Purdy recalls with a smile. “Just because when I got thrown into that game, it was my first real regular season action, and I just remember it being pretty quick.
“The game was fast for me, my feet were moving very fast. I just remember seeing Frank Clark and some guys. I’m like, “Man, are these guys still in the game?” I’m there at the end of the game and they’re still there. It’s just that my mind was going pretty fast.
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo also remembers the journeyand he was impressed with Purdy’s development as a quarterback. The coach will no doubt try to find ways to limit Purdy’s options, but he admitted it poses a challenge.
“It’s going to start from the beginning with stopping the run, and hopefully we can get the quarterback to not be on timing like he is,” Spagnuolo said Thursday. “I don’t find any weakness in this quarterback. Every time I shoot the film, I’m more and more impressed.
Just five weeks after his first NFL snaps in 2022, Purdy replaced injured Garoppolo and I never looked back. The following week, the Iowa State product was chosen as the starter, ultimately leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game.
Purdy seemed to look back fondly on his first quarterback practice, while still recognizing that his development would only continue the more he played.
“I take pride in learning,” Purdy said. “In the growth, in the process of playing in the NFL week to week and improving my fundamentals, and being able to really thrive in those kinds of situations and moments, that’s progress.
“It’s getting better. And so, I look back on it and I kind of laugh about certain things.
Perhaps the element of Purdy’s game that has stood out the most for Spagnuolo since 2022 is the signal-caller’s ability to thrive while being blitzed.
“To me, the most impressive thing is that even though he didn’t get out of a blitz quickly, he has a unique way of getting out of it,” Spagnuolo said. “I just showed a play this morning. He didn’t blink, he didn’t panic at all and he got out of there.”
Purdy was effective when blitzing, completing 41 of 65 pass attempts for 558 yards and three touchdowns with three interceptions. The Pro Bowl quarterback is just as good under pressure, completing 35 of 61 attempts for 457 yards and five touchdowns with just one interception.
Purdy will have to call on his elusiveness on Sunday when Chris Jones and the Chiefs defense travel to Levi’s Stadium for their Week 7 matchup.
