San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan recently appeared on the Tom Tolbert Show. They revisited how quarterback Brock Purdy quickly earned the organization's trust during his rookie season in 2022.

Lynch recalled an offseason practice in which Purdy—the final pick of the NFL Draft—immediately stood out to coaches, teammates, and himself.


"Brock was coming back, and boom, tight window," Lynch shared. "We were kind of looking at each other, and then we're looking around, and see [LT] Trent Williams looking at [TE George] Kittle. Everyone kind of felt it early because he was going out and just playing on instinct and raw ability and just letting it rip, as Kyle says, and it was impressive. He did it right away, and it was noticeable right away.

"Now, did we know he'd be as good as he would become, as early as he [did]? No, we didn't know that."

Lynch also highlighted Purdy's first extended action, which came against the Miami Dolphins after the 49ers lost their second starting quarterback of the season. Miami's defense tried to pressure and disrupt the rookie, but Purdy responded with poise, consistently delivering accurate throws and playing with the composure of a seasoned veteran.

Shanahan said he reflected on Purdy's performance that night and realized the 49ers were still very much in contention despite losing two starting quarterbacks. Purdy's performance shifted the team's outlook almost immediately.

"Trey [Lance] was already on IR, and then Jimmy [Garoppolo] just broke his ankle, and he was basically going to—I don't know if he went on IR," Shanahan said. "So, I'm home that night, not even thinking about the game. I'm just like, 'Oh, we're down to our last quarterback. We have such a good team.'


"And then, once I stopped thinking about it, I'm laying in bed, I'm like, 'Holy s--t, he played unbelievable tonight.'"

Shanahan said Purdy's ability to handle that situation gave him renewed confidence in the team's direction for the rest of the season.

"I remember coming to work that Monday, just like, 'We got a shot, and it doesn't look like it, but we might be playing with our best guy now.'" Shanahan said. "And it showed. We didn't lose a game after that until he tore his UCL in the NFC Championship."

Shanahan also reflected on Purdy's first start the following week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when the quarterback took a heavy hit that resulted in fractured ribs.

Days later, the 49ers prepared to face division rival Seattle Seahawks on a Thursday night, and Purdy's status remained uncertain. During pregame warmups, he struggled to throw effectively, raising doubts about whether he could play.


Shanahan began tweaking the game plan for newly signed quarterback Josh Johnson, expecting him to start. However, Purdy later informed him that the pain medication had kicked in, and he believed he could play.

"It was probably that five-day span, from the [Tampa Bay] game to playing with that injury, I was like, 'We got a dude.'" Shanahan concluded.



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