San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy apparently isn't fitting into the mold of, "I finally got paid, so I can ease off a little bit," a mantra so frequently seen with many other players across the NFL.
True, Purdy still has plenty of room for growth, and he openly admits it.
However, if training camp is any indication of what's to come in 2026, fans should be in for a very pleasant surprise. And the reports stemming from camp, particularly from those who may be the most critical, are about as positive as can get.
Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn, one who's never shy about harsh critiques of the Niners, absolutely blossomed about Purdy after the eighth day of training camp.
In fact, it might be Cohn's biggest praise of the franchise signal-caller to date:
[Purdy] absolutely eviscerated the starting defense today while throwing to wide receivers named Malik Turner and KhaDarel Hodge. Technically, Purdy's No. 1 receiver on the field is Deebo Samuel, but he can't get open, so Purdy is forced to go through his progressions and fire tight-window throws to players who may or may not make the final roster. And despite all this, he threw two deep touchdown passes today and no interceptions. In fact, he has thrown just one interception in all of camp. He's making good, quick decisions, and he's playing with the most confidence I've ever seen from him. There's no question that he's having the best camp of his career.
Indeed, injuries to the wide receiver room have left Purdy and the offense shorthanded, but that doesn't appear to matter much. At least according to Cohn.
True, the stakes get a little higher when the quarterback faces off against legitimate competition not wearing the same uniform.
But, considering training camp's own level of intensity, it's a development San Francisco fans should have no problem openly welcoming.
Brock Purdy's camp dominance overshadows 3 key problems
The best quarterbacks can elevate even the least-known wide receivers, and Purdy certainly hasn't been put into this category just yet. Either way, there's no doubting he'd love to have future Hall of Famer Mike Evans (quad) and tight end George Kittle (Achilles) back on the field sooner than later. Turner and Hodge aren't exactly premier options in a regular-season game.
But Cohn went a little deeper, pointing out issues the 49ers are dealing with that could ultimately hinder Purdy and Co. when the games actually count.
"Unfortunately for him, his offensive line is shaky, his running game is non-existent and his receivers mostly are injured," Cohn continued. "The 49ers need to get him some help before he gets injured like last season."
Purdy has often used his mobility to offset so-so pass protection, but that comes with risks. And he'd unquestionably be better if the Niners' run game winds up being more productive than it was a year ago.
Still, despite those worries, it's a refreshing development to see one of the harsher beat writers openly praise Purdy in a way rarely seen before.
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