SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers finished up their preseason with a 24-24 tie against the Las Vegas Raiders in the same stadium they lost the Super Bowl in five months ago.
"Just driving into the stadium and then, yeah, seeing the locker room and our lockers for this game, at least they're in the different spots. And then, you know, just being on the sideline, it seems like yesterday we were just playing that game," said 49ers quarterback and former Iowa State Cyclone Brock Purdy. "So, you know, obviously it sucks thinking about it and and how we just weren't able to finish. But it's 2024 and we're excited for the season, so we're gonna have another opportunity at it."
Purdy, now heading into Year 3, is more experienced as both a QB and a team leader.
"I just think when you've done what you've done on the field, it's always easier. I don't care how you are, no matter what type of leader or how you want to command or demand things from people, if you haven't had much success on the field, that doesn't last very long," head coach Kyle Shanahan said. "But the team, based off of what he's done, he's earned their respect on the field, and they know him as a guy inside and out and no one respects anyone more as a person than how much they respect Brock."
After all of the in-game reps, Purdy is starting to see the game like his head coach.
"I was so excited with how he did right away. Just when we got him on the field with his few reps and then what he did in his rookie year, it was so exciting, Shanahan added. "Watching him overcome injury was unbelievable last year. He's got enough tape out there that everyone has a good grasp of what Brock is, and that's a very good quarterback. The way he's built, the way his mind works, the way he works at things, how humble he is, usually any one of those situations only gets better with reps and being in more situations."
Friday night wasn't about the results, but instead re-connecting with top targets like Deebo Samuel and George Kittle ahead of the team's regular season opener on Monday, Sept. 9 against the New York Jets.
"When you're starting out a game, you sort of have your openers, and you have an idea of like, what plays you want to run, and you know who you want to try to get the ball to if it's the right look," Purdy said. "And, you know, sure enough, we got some good looks and good opportunities to get the balls in Deebo's hands and George's hands. So I feel like we did a good job of, you know, sort of connecting and just feeling that game atmosphere again."