Brock Purdy met his childhood hero Sunday when Corridor of Fame quarterback Dan Marino made his means over throughout pregame warmups in Miami to say hey.
“It was fast. We have been beginning to heat up and he walked over and stated ‘I want to meet you; good luck and tell your dad I said hi,’” Purdy said. “That was really neat. It was cool of him to do that.”
But instead of having a day to remember, Purdy took another body blow in the longest season of his life.
Purdy had completed a 17-yard pass to Jauan Jennings to the 49ers’ 47-yard line simply earlier than the two-minute warning with the 49ers trailing 22-17. They’d all their timeouts, George Kittle seemed like George Kittle and Deebo Samuel was breaking tackles and combating for yards just like the Deebo Samuel of outdated.
It was first-and-10. Loads of time for Purdy to show he can lead a group to victory within the fourth quarter, which is among the few issues he hasn’t completed in his third season. Purdy, working out of the shotgun, wished to throw to Jennings over the center.
As an alternative, 38-year-old Calais Campbell crashed the potential victory social gathering, with Purdy’s off-balance throw fluttering on to Kader Kahou for an interception.
Brock Purdy (13) was 26 of 40 for 313 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the 49ers towards Miami. A.P. Picture
Three performs later, De’Von Achane raced 50-yard for a Dolphins landing and the 49ers, on a day once they have been eradicated from playoff rivalry earlier than kickoff, had fallen to 6-9 in a 29-17 loss.
This season, Purdy gained’t go to the playoffs for a 3rd time. Received’t play within the NFC Championship Recreation for the third time. Received’t go to the Tremendous Bowl for a second time.
And like Marino, who performed in just one Tremendous Bowl following the 1984 season and misplaced to the 49ers 38-16, he gained’t win a Tremendous Bowl both. Not this yr, anyway. Possibly not ever. There are not any ensures within the NFL.
“I was trying to lay it over the defender and I just got hit and couldn’t throw the ball that I really wanted to,” Purdy stated. “I left it short and the guy got it.”
Per week after struggling to throw the ball within the rain, Purdy seemed lots like his 2022-23 self till the interception. He was 26-of-40 for 313 yards and had landing passes of 16 yards to Samuel and a pair of yards to Eric Saubert. His 25 yards in scrambles was ok to guide the 49ers in dashing on a day the place they have been right down to their fourth-string tailback in Patrick Taylor Jr.
As an alternative, the Purdy debate has been reignited. He’s below contract for just a little greater than $1 million in 2025, however nobody expects him to play for that. His reverse quantity Sunday, Miami’s Tua Tagovaiola, signed a four-year extension value $53.1 million and it wasn’t fully clear who was one of the best quarterback on the sphere.
It’s value remembering Purdy doesn’t flip 25 for 5 extra days. He’s been tantalizingly near the highest of the mountain, felled by a severe elbow damage within the NFC Championship Recreation two seasons in the past and shedding in additional time to Patrick Mahomes in Tremendous Bowl LVIII final Feb. 11.
Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers runs the ball throughout the third quarter towards the Miami Dolphins at Onerous Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Picture by Megan Briggs/Getty Photos)
He’s gained 4 playoff video games. Been a central determine and a degree man on offense that lifted his teammates whilst his teammates lifted him. And now this. The quarterback of a 6-9 group, one thing that by no means occurred to Steve Younger or Joe Montana for soccer’s most quarterback-centric group.
“It hasn’t been clean football across the board,” Purdy stated. “I just feel like we’re hurting ourselves offensively, and when the defense gets a stop, we’ve got to go and capitalize. Last year we did that really well — the last couple of years — and we played team football for four quarters and felt like we were pretty dominant. This year has just been hit or miss.”
Purdy stands responsible of being the quarterback of a group that has misplaced 5 of his final six video games — regardless that he missed one in Inexperienced Bay with shoulder soreness. He most likely obtained an excessive amount of of the credit score when the 49ers have been successful, and now he’s getting an excessive amount of of the blame, as a result of that’s the way it works with probably the most troublesome place in skilled sports activities.
In any case, it wasn’t on Purdy that the 49ers dedicated 11 penalties for 90 yards, a lot of them of the maddening pre-snap selection.
It wasn’t Purdy’s fault that Ricky Pearsall twice lined up incorrectly for unlawful formation calls. It wasn’t Purdy’s fault that left deal with Jaylon Moore departed within the third quarter with a quad damage and left guard Aaron Banks was achieved a short while later with a possible season-ending MCL damage. It wasn’t Purdy’s fault the 49ers had three defensive private fouls permitting Miami to increase drives when the sport was being determined. Or that Jake Moody missed one other makeable subject aim try from 41 yards.
Purdy has rejected utilizing accidents as an alibi all season.
Calais Campbell #93 of the Miami Dolphins tackles Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers throughout the second quarter at Onerous Rock Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Picture by Carmen Mandato/Getty Photos)
“It doesn’t matter who’s out there,” Purdy stated. “We have what it takes to move the chains and win and score points. That’s my mindset. That’s why I’m hard on myself. That’s the NFL, man. I know that I’m capable of pulling through and winning these kinds of games, regardless of who’s out there.
“In the moment, I just have to be better, taking what the defense gives me and building guys up as we go. I’m learning a lot. It hurts going through it, but I still have all the faith in the world of what we can do moving forward. We’ve still got two games left to showcase ourselves and who we are.”
Sadly for the 49ers, their remaining won-loss file will say they have been probably the most disappointing group in franchise historical past primarily based on the expectation of being a Tremendous Bowl contender.
It’s one thing no quarterback desires on his resume, however there are not any indications Shanahan has soured on Purdy the best way he did with Jimmy Garoppolo. And that’s the one means Purdy doesn’t get a contract that places him someplace within the neighborhood of Tagovaiola and others.
Purdy expressed appreciation for Kittle and Samuel as teammates and buddies.
“They’ve been very good to me and big brothers to me,” Purdy stated.
Now it’s time for Purdy to be the massive brother. A brand new contract will solidify his standing because the 49ers’ quarterback of the long run. Then the stress will probably be much more intense, and the debates over Purdy’s viability to ship a championship will probably be trebled in quantity.
That’s life within the NFL.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) speak on the sphere after an NFL soccer recreation, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Picture/Doug Murray)
Initially Printed: December 22, 2024 at 6:44 PM PST
