The San Francisco 49ers saw the return of their starting quarterback, Brock Purdy, in Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals. Moreover, Purdy hit the ground running in his first game back, quieting any chatter about a potential quarterback controversy in the Bay Area.
Purdy completed 19 of 26 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns. His return looked very different from the way he returned from injury for the September 28 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It’s been a few days since the contest in Week 11, and 49ers general manager John Lynch reflected on seeing Purdy back on the field.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in Brock,” Lynch said during a November 21 appearance on Bay Area radio station KNBR (h/t 49ers Web Zone). “And he just handles himself so well. And from the very first time he set foot on our practice field, he’s done that. So, he kind of puts confidence into our team, and so, excited for him. I wouldn’t say nervous.”
Brock Purdy Displayed Vintage Brock Purdy
Lynch shared more insight into why he believes Purdy has returned to form after just one game. While the game plan didn’t call for much use of his mobility, Lynch still noticed the familiar comfort and rhythm that make Purdy who he is on the field, allowing the player to look like his vintage self.
“I know he felt healthy. I thought he looked healthy,” Lynch said. “It was a really good game. There’s always going to be kind of an acclimation period to get yourself back going when you’ve taken an extended layoff, albeit from injury or first game of his season.
“I think there was some of that, but for the most part, great game to go kind of get his legs underneath him, get his confidence back, and get his rhythm, really. And I felt like he was able to accomplish all of that.”
49ers Legend Is Also Backing Brock Purdy
Lynch isn’t the only one confident that Purdy can guide the team to more wins now that he’s back. Former 49ers quarterback Steve Young weighed in on Purdy’s return after the Niners bounced back with a crucial victory following their Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
“He looks like Brock, first of all, the processing giant that he is,” Young said on the November 18 edition of “The Jim Rome Show.” “You can see he owns the data. He knows where they go with a ball. If he gets a chance to let it rip, he’s going to.
“Who he is is something we can count on, but he’s not fully functional yet. He’s not fully mobile yet. You can see, as he turns and tries to get away from trouble, he’s going to have to protect that toe for probably the rest of the season. So that limits that.”
San Francisco are now focusing on Week 12, and they will be facing another team that’s in the middle of a division fight of their own, the Carolina Panthers, on November 24 at Levi’s Stadium.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post 49ers’ John Lynch Doesn’t Hold Back on Brock Purdy’s Return appeared first on Heavy Sports.