Getty Brock Purdy looks to throw on January 22, 2023 in Santa Clara.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will see his first action on September 10 since his season-ending elbow injury, and taunting by Pittsburgh Steelers safety Patrick Peterson will not faze him.
Peterson claimed on the “All Things Covered” podcast this week that he will pick off Purdy in the Week 1 showdown between the Steelers and 49ers. A free agent signee this offseason, Peterson played for the Minnesota Vikings in 2022 after his time with the 49ers’ NFC West rival Arizona Cardinals.
“There is some tell signs out there that tells us what plays we’re gonna get from those guys in certain situations,” Peterson said. “When I get my pick Sunday, we’ll talk about it.”
Purdy, of course, had something to say in his press conference this week. The second-year quarterback notably hasn’t faced Peterson yet because the 49ers didn’t play the Vikings in 2022.
“I mean, I don’t really know what to say about that,” Purdy told reporters on Thursday, September 8. “I mean, he’s a good player. Patrick Peterson’s a great player. I grew up watching him and everything. I was obviously from Arizona, he played for the Cardinals and stuff. So yeah, it’s the competitive nature, I guess, of football, so we’ll see.”
“We’ll See.”
Brock Purdy’s response to Patrick Peterson predicting he will get an interception on Sunday ☕️
🎥: @NBCS49ers
Peterson showed his regard for Purdy, who impressed as a rookie amid a 5-0 record and 1.374 yards passing for 13 touchdowns versus four interceptions. Purdy led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game, but his season got cut short in the title game with the elbow injury.
“He just do a great job of putting the ball where it needs to go and not making many mistakes,” Peterson said. “We’re gonna have to force him to be a professional quarterback.”
Brock Purdy Recalls What He Told Kyle Shanahan After Injury
Purdy vividly remembers how his season ended suddenly with the elbow injury and what he told head coach Kyle Shanahan before exiting the NFC Championship Game.
“As I’m going back, I see Brandon Aiyuk wide open, and all I can think is, ‘This is going to be a big play,’” Purdy told NBC Sports Bay Area. “And all of the sudden, boom. My arm, as I’m coming through, got pulled back [by Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick]. And then I thought, ‘Something’s not right.'”
“I felt all of this electricity and fire, pain shooting down my arm. Can’t feel my pinky, my ring finger. I couldn’t feel anything. Almost like I got shot in my arm,” Purdy added.
Video: The #49ers sideline reaction to the Brock Purdy injury during the NFC Championship game (NFL Films)
@fred_warner: “Wait, what happened to Purdy?”
@gkittle46 tried to fire up a deflated unit.
While Purdy tried to keep playing, he ultimately had to sit out. Already depleted at quarterback, the 49ers only has Josh Johnson left on the depth chart with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo out due to injuries.
“I went to the sidelines, talked to Kyle and told him, ‘I don’t know if you can call a pass play here.’ ” Purdy added. “He says, ‘Are you talking about a deep play?’ And I told him, ‘I don’t know if I can throw.’”
Brock Purdy: ‘We Were Trying to do Everything We Could’
Purdy re-entered the game after Johnson left due to a concussion, but the rookie couldn’t manage more than a few short throws. He finished with 4-4 passing for 23 yards.
“Right after that, they turned to me, because I’m still in my full uniform,” Purdy told NBC Sports Bay Area. “I throw off the jacket, run back out, and all the guys in the huddle say, ‘Let’s go Brock!’ Deep down, I’m like, ‘I can’t throw.'”
“We were trying to do everything we could at that point, trying to get something lucky to happen to go to the Super Bowl,” Purdy added.
Fully recovered with offseason surgery, Purdy can restart the 49ers’ quest for another Lombardi Trophy.