Brock Purdy blames intense fatigue for 49ers’ underwhelming 2024 season

In his fourth year, Brock Purdy is one of the biggest names in the offseason as his contract is up for extension for the first time.

Brock Purdy blames intense fatigue for 49ers’ underwhelming 2024 season

Brock Purdy (Image via IMAGO)

The San Francisco 49ers were one of the hottest teams walking into the 2024 season. The Niners had wrapped up a solid year, finishing top of the conference and reaching the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs in March 2024. Much was expected from the team, but finishing last in the group and crashing out of the playoffs weren’t among them.

The year, marred by injuries to keep players like Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk, made it difficult for them to cruise through the season. In addition, shorter absences of players, including Brock Purdy and Nick Bosa, severely impacted their gameplay.

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Brock Purdy, the starting quarterback, was heavily targeted during the season as critics mounted on him for his inadequacies. The general summary from the outside noise was pointing out Purdy’s inability to perform due to the unavailability of his trusted offensive receivers and rushers.

Purdy, in a recent interview on the Built 4 More podcast, admitted that there was yet another party in play which led to their disappointing performance.

And then last year, man, guys were tired. That season is no joke, and when you go from July of training and everything, all the way to the end of February, and then you really get five weeks off or so [until] you’ve got to report back, and then you’re going again, guys are tired. They’re still beat up, their bodies.

Brock Purdy admitted

The injuries, in addition to tired players, would never do well. However, Purdy and the 49ers need to understand that the Kansas City Chiefs also had roster issues and have been in their same boat. The Chiefs won two titles back-to-back and reached the Super Bowl in the third year. Can they also sing the same tune?

Brock Purdy is pushing forward for the next season with motivation driving him

As Brock Purdy enters the 2025 season, he does so with a renewed perspective shaped by the adversity of last year.

Brock Purdy
Brock Purdy is the first-ever 262nd pick to throw a touchdown pass (Image via NBC)

The challenges he faced reinforced the reality that nothing in football—or life—is guaranteed. That realization has fueled his mindset. The 25-year-old revealed that the new mindset is all about self-motivation to push forward while staying grounded in his core beliefs.

For me, going into this year, it’s like, how can I just continue to press that gas pedal, not only just for my team, but for myself? Be hard on myself, just with the potential that I have, watching film and all those things, but also holding everything loosely, as a faithful man, knowing that I can’t control everything in my life to go perfectly. This is God’s will, not mine.

Brock Purdy said in the same podcast

Amid the focus on the upcoming season, Brock Purdy has taken centre stage of the offseason with his upcoming contract negotiations. As a last draft pick who’s exceeded a lot of expectations for a Mr. Irrelevant, Purdy’s new deal is unsurprisingly the talk of the town.

Brock Purdy is the first rookie QB in franchise history to start and win a playoff game, setting a rookie record with four total touchdowns in a postseason matchup. Purdy also posted the highest passer rating (119.4) in his first five starts since Kurt Warner in 1999. Despite the fatigue and absence of key players, Purdy put up a brilliant show and solid numbers last season in fifteen games.

With his rookie contract nearing its end, the debate has intensified—will San Francisco commit to him as their long-term franchise quarterback with a lucrative extension, or will negotiations take a more conservative approach?

Analysts, fans, and insiders have weighed in, with numbers ranging anywhere from $40 million per year to something more team-friendly. Some believe Purdy’s faith-driven, humble approach will lead to a more measured negotiation. However, there is quite a lot of noise around a potential trade as well.