A rough 2024 season exposed some of the flaws on the San Francisco 49ers’ roster. Fixing those flaws in the offseason will be key to re-opening the team’s Super Bowl window, but quarterback Brock Purdy remains the biggest factor in San Francisco’s future success.
Purdy is due for a contract extension once the clock hits 0:00 in the fourth quarter of Week 18. He regressed some in 2024 after a sensational 2023 campaign and saw his numbers dip across the board. The various reasons for that regression can be debated and the real answer is probably that multiple factors led to a worse year for the team’s starting signal caller. Regardless of why Purdy struggled, head coach Kyle Shanahan on Thursday told reporters it may ultimately be to the QB’s benefit.
“He’s in a more challenging situation this year,” said Shanahan. “He’s got two more weeks of it. I think it’s going to end up being really good for him in the long run. I thought he played at such a high level in some situations last year that some were good and easier, but then some were tough. Just like even both playoff games, some of the situations we were in and him leading us back to end up winning both of those and go to the Super Bowl.
“I think this year just having a number of his guys down and things like that has been harder on him but usually that stuff can make you better. I think he’s fought through it all year. He’s got two more weeks to fight through it and hopefully we can still improve in these two weeks and then get to the film in the offseason.”
Purdy’s top playmakers have all missed varying amounts of time this season. Running back Christian McCaffrey played in only four games. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk got only seven games in before sustaining a season-ending knee injury. Purdy’s offensive line has also been a mess because of injuries to multiple starters and backups.
It’s hard to fully blame him for a dip in virtually every traditional statistic. The key now will be whether he actually can take lessons and learn to adapt to a less-than-perfect situation. If the 49ers are going to make him their franchise QB who makes upwards of $55 million per year, he’s going to have to be a player who can better overcome the type of offensive adversity the team faced this year.
His continued development remains a question that won’t be answered until he and the 49ers are back on the field next September. The good news is Shanahan believes the QB is mentally in the right place to take those steps forward next season.
“I think Brock’s been good,” said Shanahan. “Brock’s a very strong person. I think he’s disappointed. He had high expectations this year, just like we all did. I also don’t think he hasn’t ever been in a losing situation yet. So, I think that’s very hard for him. But to watch how he responds each week, to watch how he practices, to watch how he is in the meetings, he’s always the same guy and nothing’s changed in that way.”
If Purdy gets back to being the guy he was for the 49ers in 2023 when he finished fourth in the NFL MVP voting, the 49ers’ Super Bowl window will open much easier regardless of the changes they make to their roster in the offseason.
