A ray of light peeks through as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) walks on the field after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-14. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy genuinely feels “nothing’s changed” now that he’s emerged as the NFL MVP favorite. He’s right on at least two accounts.
One, the 49ers (9-3) keep winning, as they take a four-game win streak into Sunday’s home game against the Seattle Seahawks (6-6).
Two, Purdy is not taking the bait as some “reporters” fish for an incendiary reaction to other “reporters” who’ve made disparaging remarks about him.
Thursday brought this loaded question: Do think representing the organization well right now standing at the podium wearing a backwards hat?
“I guess that’s who I am, and I think so,” Purdy responded unapologetically.
That “backwards hat” take originated from Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd last week, similar to a decade ago when an online columnist criticized Colin Kaepernick’s tatoos didn’t aptly represent the “CEO” qualities required to be the 49ers’ quarterback.
“Some guys have told me in the locker room (about Cowherd’s take), but I don’t buy into that kind of stuff,” Purdy said. “I’m just trying to play quarterback and win games.”
Last Thursday, Purdy was asked if he is the 49ers’ weak link as “Philly people” accuse him to be. His response: “That’s the first time I’ve heard that, so I don’t really know exactly how I feel about that. They could think that, that’s fine.”
He’s emerged into an MVP candidate because he’s indeed setting the 49ers up for victory. Last Sunday saw him pass for four touchdowns in a 42-19, playoff-impacting win at Philadelphia.
Purdy continues to lead the NFL in passer rating (116.1), completion percentage (70.2%) and yards per attempt (9.59).
He is 16-4 as the 49ers’ starter, with a 3-0 mark against the incoming Seahawks, including last year’s wild-card playoff win at Levi’s Stadium. He expects a “dogfight,” like always, against the NFC West rival.
The final question Purdy answered Thursday, before going to get a prescheduled haircut, was more sincere in asking whether he appreciates his status, be it as the NFL passing leader, the MVP favorite, or the object of media hot takes.
Purdy’s response: “For me I’ve always known that this whole thing, life in itself is a process. You can’t just wake up one day and graduate high school and be, ‘Alright I’m going to go play in the NFL in a couple of years.’ It’s, ‘I have to go earn the respect of guys 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. I’ve just taken it one step at a time. All I’m focused on is trying to play quarterback and win games for the Niners, and all the other stuff just happens as you go.”
One eye-opening way he got the 49ers’ going in Philadelphia: He not only set up the first touchdown with a 6-yard scramble to the 4-yard line, he did so by throwing his right shoulder into two defenders along the way. That’s a job description more suited for 49ers’ running back Christian McCaffrey.
“I would have liked to have seen him slide. We all would. He’s a tough dude, man,” McCaffrey said. “Anytime he has an option to do that, as a competitor, it would be tough for him to slide. I loved it, I just don’t want to see it again.”
PRACTICE NOTES
Defensive tackle Arik Armstead (foot, knee), running back Elijah Mitchell (knee), right guard Spencer Burford (knee), return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud (rib), cornerback Darrell Luter (hamstring) and tight end Ross Dwelley (ankle) remained out of practice, though Burford and Mitchell were seen doing individual work on the side.
DAVIS-PRICE RETURNS
Running back Ty Davis-Price returned to the 49ers, albeit on the practice squad, a day after he surprisingly cleared waivers. Davis-Price got cut Tuesday so the 49ers could add safety Logan Ryan to their 53-man roster. Wide receiver Isaiah Winstead, an undrafted rookie, was waived from the practice squad in Thursday’s corresponding roster move.
PRO BOWL UPDATE
Nick Bosa and Chase Young lead all NFC defensive ends in Pro Bowl voting, according to this week’s NFL updates. Overall, Myles Garrett (Browns) and Maxx Crosby (Raiders) lead the NFL in defensive end voting, followed by Bosa (third) and Young (sixth).
Leading the overall voting at their respective positions are linebacker Fred Warner, left tackle Trent Williams, running back Christian McCaffrey, and fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Others in the top-10 are tight end George Kittle (second), long snapper Taybor Pepper (third), return specialist Ray-Ray McCloud (fifth), center Jake Brendel (fifth), quarterback Brock Purdy (sixth), cornerback Charvarius Ward (seventh), punter Mitch Wishnowsky (seventh), wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (eighth), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (ninth), guard Aaron Banks (ninth), and defensive tackle Arik Armstead (ninth).
GM PIPELINE
The 49ers are sending two of their top scouts, Josh Williams and Tariq Ahmad, to the NFL’s program “Front Office and General Manager Accelerator Program,” held next week in Dallas. Williams, a national scout, is in his 13th season with the 49ers. Ahmad is in his 10th year, and his third as director of college scouting.
SAN QUENTIN VISIT
Several 49ers – Charlie Woerner, Curtis Robinson, Alfredo Gutierrez and Ilm Manning — accompanied team pastor Earl Smith to San Quentin State Prison on Tuesday to participate in a discussion on social justice, then handed out holiday gifts to the children and families who were visiting incarcerated people.
Originally published at Cam Inman