San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was making just his eighth career start when they visited the Philadelphia Eagles in January’s NFC Championship Game.
Purdy was 7-0 as a starter heading into that game after replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo the previous month. He was still unproven. But had put up historic success in his first handful or so of outings in the NFL.
As you likely already know, Purdy exited that game on the 49ers’ first possession with an elbow injury. While he would return after backup Josh Johnson suffered a concussion, Mr. Irrelevant was unable to throw a forward pass. The 49ers would go on to lose 31-7 with the Iowa State product undergoing elbow surgery weeks later.
Fast forward less than a calendar year, and Purdy is returning to the scene of the “crime.” San Francisco is set to take on Philadelphia Sunday afternoon inside Lincoln Financial Field.
For the still-young signal caller, it is much different this time around.
“Am I going to go in there and get all sentimental about, ‘I’ve come a long way since?’ It’s not really like that. Am I going to go into the game saying I want revenge and all this kind of stuff? It’s not like that [either]. So, I’m just going to try to go do my job and be the best Brock that I can be for this team.”
Brock Purdy on his return to Philadelphia, via ESPN
While other 49ers players are actively seeking revenge, the same thing can’t be said about Purdy. As soft-spoken as they come, the 2022 seventh-round pick is all about leading San Francisco to a win in the hostile environment. “I got hurt there and everything, but for me it’s week 13,” Purdy said. “
Related: 10 players to watch for in San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles rematch
Brock Purdy in much different situation heading into Philadelphia
San Francisco finds itself at 8-3 heading into this huge Week 13 matchup. The team has won three consecutive following a Week 9 bye. That comes after a three-game losing streak heading into the bye.
It is slated to take on an Eagles team that’s 10-1 and is coming off consecutive wins over the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. A win by Philadelphia would pretty much eliminate the 49ers from earning home-field advantage in the NFC Playoffs. On the other hand, a San Francisco victory would make this very much a race.
As for Purdy, he now has 11 more starts under his belt in comparison to the quarterback’s preparation for January’s conference title tilt.
Related: Ranking Brock Purdy among the NFL’s 32 starting quarterbacks
Purdy also joins Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts as one of the top NFL MVP candidates heading into December. He leads the NFL in completion percentage (70.2), yards per attempt (9.4), yards per completion (13.4) and quarterback rating (112.3).
It’s another chance for Purdy to prove himself all over again after being the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. It’s also an opportunity for the 49ers to prove that they are in fact the team to beat in the NFC.
“We’re late in season, so every game is obviously big for us. And so that’s where I’m at with my mindset. It’s a new year, two new teams, slightly different in different ways. So that’s how I look at it,” Purdy said.
Indeed.
