SANTA CLARA — Goodbye “Mr. Irrelevant.” Hello “Mr. Popular.”
“If I haven’t responded to you, just know I’m a little busy,” Brock Purdy said Thursday to his supporters, in an apologetic tone from the media podium, “but I appreciate everyone’s love and support.”
Purdy, ahead of Sunday’s first start as the 49ers’ quarterback, is drawing support from all corners. That goes beyond Levi’s Stadium’s locker room, where, truth be told, the 22-year-old rookie usually is nestled in the quietest corner to study, furthest from the entry doors.
“He just has to not try to overthink things,’” Joe Montana told USA Today. “Just go in and you don’t have to make plays. You’ve got guys on the outside that can make plays. So just relax.”
Easy for Montana to say in retirement with the four Super Bowl rings he won with the 49ers in the 1980s, when the Candlestick Park fans included a San Mateo kid named Tom Brady. That is who Purdy will oppose Sunday when Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) visit the 49ers.
Even Tom Brady Sr. is pulling for Purdy, to a fatherly extent.
“This is so wonderful for Brock Purdy,” Tom Brady Sr. told KPIX’s Vern Glenn. “I mean I love Jimmy G, but for a rookie getting his first start, and, frankly, getting it against Tommy is going to be a memory he’ll never forget. I wish him a really, really fabulous game but I hope he comes up a little bit short.”
On April 30, Purdy’s name did not come up until the NFL Draft’s final pick, No. 262 overall. He was the ninth quarterback selected; the eighth was Skylar Thompson, who threw a mop-up-duty interception Sunday at Levi’s Stadium as Purdy and the 49ers close out a 33-17 win.
Now, with Garoppolo sidelined by a foot fracture and Trey Lance still ruled out for the season because of a Sept. 18 ankle fracture, Purdy gets his shot to extend the 49ers’ win streak to six.
“It hasn’t been, ‘This is it, the only opportunity,’ ” Purdy said. “Yes it’s a great opportunity and I’ll take it one day at a time, one snap at a time, and we’ll see what happens.”
Purdy spent Sunday night and Monday appreciating “everyone in my life who’ve played a part and given their time and love and support towards me and my family.”
Purdy will be the 49ers’ 20th starting quarterback since 1999 and sixth under Kyle Shanahan. Once Garoppolo exited from Sunday’s opening possession with a left-foot fracture, Purdy entered his third official game and pumped out 37 passes (25 completions) for 210 yards and two touchdown with one interception.
What ensued was a cascade of support, especially and most important from his teammates.
“They’ve all got my back,” Purdy said. “That’s just been the coolest part about it, knowing I’m not alone in this whole thing.”
He recited offensive veterans telling him: “Man, we’ve got you. We’re not going to just throw you out there and leave you out there by yourself.” And Purdy has heard from leaders of the NFL’s No. 1 defense telling him: “Do your thing on offense. We’re going to hold it down and do our part.”
For the defense to do that, they must hold down Brady. No one has made more out of an NFL Draft slight than, well, arguably the greatest player ever: Brady. Drafted No. 199 and the seventh quarterback to go in the 2000 draft, Brady’s retirement this offseason last 40 days before he returned this season for the thrill of such a December battle between playoff contenders.
“He vibes with everyone here,” tight end George Kittle said. “He’s definitely serious but we enjoy his presence.”
Kittle especially enjoyed Purdy’s premier as the first-string quarterback Wednesday, to which Kittle recalled: “He yelled at someone for talking in the huddle (Wednesday) and I was laughing so hard. I was like, ‘Quiet. The quarterback’s talking.”
Behind the scenes, in the 49ers’ training room Tuesday, Purdy ducked inside to visit Garoppolo.
“I picked brain on what it’s going to take. He’s awesome, telling me to do this, to do that,” Purdy said. “I told him I love him and am appreciative of everything he’s done for me. He’s been around and every time you see him, he smiles. The energy he brings is awesome.”
Christian McCaffrey said Garoppolo set “such a high standard” in the quarterbacks room that Purdy learned from it to make a smooth transition, adding: “He’s done an unbelievable job with that all week.”
Shanahan believes that scout-team experience against the NFL’s No. 1 defense not only helped prepare Purdy but also earn him respect.
“Brock’s got a good edge to him,” Shanahan said. “He’s quiet, but I think he’s more respectful just being the younger guy in the room. You can tell how the rookies gravitate to him. He’s got good command over them.
“Our scout team (looks), from Warner and all those guys, they love him. He’s aggressive over there,” Shanahan added. “He is not shy in anything he does, but he’s fit in with our team well and he’s understood his role and now it’s gotten a lot bigger, but I don’t think he changed that.”
Here are the records of the 49ers’ starting quarterbacks under Shanahan (in order of appearance):
2017: Brian Hoyer 0-6, C.J. Beathard 1-4, Garoppolo 5-0
2018: Garoppolo 1-2, Beathard 0-5, Nick Mullens 3-5
2019: Garoppolo 13-3
2020: Garoppolo 3-3, Mullens 2-6, Beathard 1-1
2021: Garoppolo 9-6, Trey Lance 1-1
2022: Lance 1-1, Garoppolo 7-3
BOSA STILL SIDELINED
NFL sack leader Nick Bosa did not practice a second straight day after reporting “hamstring irritation” after Sunday’s three-sack showing, which raised his league-leading total to 14 1/2 sacks this season. Bosa missed the 49ers’ Oct. 16 loss at Atlanta because of a groin issue.
“He’s working his way back in, doing good,” defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s definitely playing his best right now. If you talk about someone who can change and affect the game the way Bosa does it, to me, it’s hands down he’s best in the league.
“Talk about a defensive player of the year candidate, if it isn’t Bosa, I don’t know who else it should be,” Ryans added. “He’s put our defense in the position we’re in and how he changes the game and affects the quarterback.”
RYANS ON BRADY
Ryans, during his 10-yeara career as an NFL linebacker, faced Brady three times, including as a rookie in 2006 (“He diced us up pretty bad,” Ryans said of a 40-7 loss with Houston) and in his final season in 2015 (“It was a pretty cool moment there,” Ryans said of a 35-28 Eagles win at New England).
Ryans lauded Brady’s accomplishments as “the best quarterback to ever play the game,” then added. “It’s a challenge our guys are looking forward to. It’s one that guys won’t get much of in their career. To see where you are against the best to ever do it, it’s a really cool challenge for our guys and we’re excited.”
OTHER HEALTH ISSUES
Garoppolo, defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway (pectoral) and safety Tarvarius Moore (knee) remain out but on the injury report because none have been cast onto the injured reserve list, from which the 49ers have only two activations remaining this season.
Limited again were running back Christian McCaffrey (knee), wide receiver Deebo Samuel (quadriceps), guard Spencer Burford (ankle) and defensive lineman Arik Armstead (foot, ankle).
Remaining out of the Bucs’ practices were right tackle Tristan Wirfs (ankle, knee) and safeties Antoine Winfield (ankle) and Mike Edwards (hamstring).
Source: www.mercurynews.com