Back in the 2023 season, quarterback Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers rode a three-game losing streak into their Week 9 bye, subsequently admitting how much they all needed a break to reset for the second half of that year's campaign.
That reset proved invaluable, as the Niners lost only two more regular-season games before punching their ticket to the Super Bowl later that February.
Now, with San Francisco 9-4 and hitting a Week 14 bye, Purdy and Co. get a much-needed rest that'll hopefully set themselves up nicely for a final four-game stretch that includes matchups against three teams currently in the postseason picture.
Purdy, in particular, might relish the break a bit more than everyone else and for a vastly different reason.
The signal-caller's turf-toe injury, suffered way back in Week 1, forced Purdy to miss eight games on the season already. Both he and head coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged it's an injury that won't entirely go away for the balance of the year, even though the quarterback also admitted it's not bothering him during games now.
Bye week benefits Brock Purdy's injury recover in a major way
Purdy joined KNBR 680 this week and was asked about how he's feeling in light of the turf-toe injury that sidelined him for so long earlier this season.
"It's definitely going to just be a thing that I feel," Purdy acknowledged regarding the injury. "Like I said, warming up or waking up in the morning, that kind of thing. But when I'm out there, adrenaline's going, I'm worried about playing quarterback. I'm not thinking about it as I'm dropping back or throwing or anything like that. But it is what it is."
While Purdy's on-field efforts, particularly during San Francisco's Week 13 road victory over a tough Cleveland Browns defense amid frigid and windy conditions, did nothing to indicate the toe is bothering him, it's assured he'll enjoy having an extra week off to rest and recover.
"It's sort of just open up my eyes in terms of just my health with my ankles and my feet and everything moving forward," Purdy added. "It's something that it sucks going through, to experience, but I learned from it, and hopefully, moving forward, I can just continue to make sure my feet are right."
That added week should result in the injury feeling a bit better than it otherwise would, if the 49ers weren't on their bye.
Hopefully, Purdy's subsequent efforts are reflected by the improved toe.
Hat tip to David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone for the find and transcription.