SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy was still beaming Friday. All due respect, it had nothing to do with layering passes to George Kittle or dodging Nick Bosa’s pass rush during a two-hour, sun-splashed practice at training camp.
A week earlier, Purdy woke up at home, phoned coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi, then told them he wouldn’t be coming in to work. He instead became a father at 2:58 p.m. to daughter Millie, named in honor of his wife Jenna’s grandmother.
“I still really can’t describe it, just how awesome it is in coming home and seeing a little baby girl, holding her, and her sleeping on me,” Purdy said. “There’s nothing better, man. No gift can compare. Seeing (wife) Jenna and how awesome she’s been as a mom, altogether, it’s so good.”
Purdy was a 21-year-old, fourth-string quarterback in camp just three years ago, bearing the “Mr. Irrelevant” moniker as the NFL Draft’s 262nd and final pick. His life has since been on a fast-track to major milestones, from nearly winning a Super Bowl in February 2024 to signing a 49ers-record contract for $265 million two months ago.
“Having a baby and our family growing, being able to knock out the contract, it’s been just a huge blessing all around,” Purdy added. “But nothing compares to having a baby and being married, that’s first and foremost. We’re extremely excited and our hearts are so big right now.”
And yet there is a day job Purdy must conquer.
Punter Thomas Morstead, a father of five, has given valuable counsel on how to play in the NFL while prioritizing family. Linebacker Fred Warner and center Jake Brendel also offered pearls of wisdom from their foray into fatherhood in recent years.
All that sentimentality aside, Purdy was able Friday to toggle back to discuss quarterbacking a team in transition. The football field, to him, offers simplicity, even amid the chaos of 11 grown men chasing him.
One player in particular, Nick Bosa, is serving as a welcome nuisance to get Purdy ready for this season.
“Obviously he’ll just tap me on my shoulder or whatever to let me know he was there. It’s good getting that kind of pass rush. It’s real,” Purdy said. “If you’re at practice and dropping back and not getting touched and going through your progressions all perfectly, to me, it can be scary. Because once you get in a game, it’s 11-on-11, it’s going fast, you’ve got different blitzes, different stunts from the D-line, and they’re up in your face.”
Friday, Bosa dashed past right tackle Colton McKivitz on at least three occasions for would-be sacks before Purdy surrendered short passes to Kittle and Christian McCaffrey.
“To have him every single rep and feeling his presence 24/7, honestly it’s great work for all of us, myself included,” Purdy added. “Throwing with push in the pocket and having different arm angles, it’s all real. For him to give us a look like that realistically every play he’s in, it’s really good, so I appreciate him for that.”
Bosa, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year during Purdy’s rookie season of 2022, is having an impressive camp, and that includes epic bull-on-bull clashes with left tackle Trent Williams.
“Obviously he’s getting really good work,” Purdy said of Bosa. “I want him to become a monster come the season for our team.”
Whether Purdy himself will thrive is a mystery that seems to revolve around a thinning group of wide receivers. Jauan Jennings missed the past four practices with a calf issue, after reporting to camp in search of a contract extension. Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jacob Cowing (hamstring) are also out, Ricky Pearsall is being eased into action, and rookie upshot Jordan Watkins missed Friday’s practice for unknown reasons.
“Here it’s really about playing on time and being able to scramble. Brock does such a good job at that,” new backup Mac Jones said. “He goes through his reads and then goes and makes plays.”(Jones, by the way, said he prepared for his understudy role by doing 10 practices on his own this summer in full pads and uniform.)
Purdy returned the compliment, saying Jones’ four years of NFL experience shows: “His footwork, his eyes, everything is very detailed, just how Shanahan, Lombardi and (offensive coordinator Klay) Kubiak coach it. He’s executing consistently and doing a great job.”
A couple years ago, when Purdy was new on the job, he and running back Christian McCaffrey envisioned becoming fathers; McCaffrey beat him by 12 days as his wife, Olivia Culpo, also gave birth to a daughter, Colette.
“Christian and I have talked about in past, it’d be sweet to have kids remember us playing in the NFL and go to work with dad,” Purdy said. “This is our work so it’s pretty cool. Hopefully we can have all our kids grow up together.”
NOTE: Linebacker Curtis Robinson, who opened camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list, was cleared and suited up for practice, 10 months after tearing an anterior cruciate knee ligament. … Safety Ji’Ayir Brown (unknown reason), running back Jordan James (knee) and cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir (hip) and Renardo Green (hamstring) also did not practice. … Safety Jason Pinnock made the day’s only interception on an early-session pass by Purdy. … Christian McCaffrey repeatedly matched up with Warner in one-on-one drills before team action, in which McCaffrey had a touchdown run on one of his five carries. He also had caught two of three targets, after resting Thursday. … Purdy’s best passes included a touchdown to Kittle in red zone work, and a 20-yard toss to Kyle Juszczyk against Dee Winters’ tight coverage.