SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — When Brock Purdy walked off the field following his first playoff trip to Philadelphia, his future was in question.

Purdy had gone from the last pick of the 2022 draft to an improbable starting quarterback in the NFC title game for the San Francisco 49ers in a span of nine months only to tear a ligament in his right elbow on his opening drive of a loss.

kAm“*@F E62C J@FC &r{[ E96 =:82>6?E E92E J@F FD6 2D 2 BF2CE6C324<[ 2D 2 E9C@H6C[ @3G:@FD=J J@F DE2CE E9:?<:?8 23@FE J@FC 7FEFC6 2?5 E9:?8D 2?5 4@>:?8 324< 7C@> E96 :?;FCJ 2?5 :E H2D 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 J62C D@ x H2D BF6DE:@?:?8 H:== x 36 324< 😕 E:>6[ H:== x 36 E96 8FJ 4@>6 E96 DE2CE @7 E96 D62D@?n $EF77 =:<6 E92E[Q !FC5J D2:5 %9FCD52J] QqFE ?@H H6’C6 >@G65 @? 2?5 C625J E@ 8@]”k^Am

kAm!FC5J C6EFC?65 7C@> E96 >2;@C DFC86CJ 2?5 AC@G65 9:D =2E6\D62D@? CF? 2D 2 C@@<:6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^DFA6C\3@H=\D2?\7C2?4:D4@\ch6CD\B3\3C@4<\AFC5J\ced4g6ch`bhaf2`67hgeab27`2362hc_QmH2D?VE 2 >@>6?E2CJ 7=2D9k^2m[ 6DE23=:D9:?8 9:>D6=7 2D E96 7C2?49:D6 BF2CE6C324< 7@C E96 ch6CD W`a\dX]k^Am

kAmw6 H@? 😕 9:D C6EFC? E@ !9:=256=A9:2 😕 a_ab H96? 96 96=A65 $2? uC2?4:D4@ C6249 E96 $FA6C q@H= 2?5 =625D E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ch6CD\628=6D\AC6G:6H\?7=\A=2J@77D\“c5b3gf56e3fb35_26ach`ec_c_`_56Qmch6CD 324< E@ !9:=256=A9:2k^2m E@ E2<6 @? E96 t28=6D W“\eX @? $F?52J 😕 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?7=\A=2J@77\D4965F=6\9@H\E@\H2E49\374`f26a7dbhc5b`f5h6h45g27bb4badQmH:=5\42C5 >2E49FAk^2m]k^Am

kAm!FC5JVD 4@?46C?D E9:D H66< 2C6 H:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ch6CD\628=6D\A=6E6=J 962=65 D:?46 a_ab]k^Am

kAm“~3G:@FD=J[ H6 @H !9:==J 7C@> 36:?8 E96C6 2?5 E96:C 6?G:C@?>6?E[ E96:C 72?D[ 2== E96 E9:?8D[” !FC5J D2:5] QxE’D 86EE:?8 AC6A2C65 7@C E92E C:89E ?@H C2E96C E92? 92G:?8 7=2D9324@G6 @?]”k^Am

kAm!FC5J C64@G6C65 7C@> E92E :?;FCJ E@ 364@>6 2? p! }u{ |’! 7:?2=:DE 😕 E96 a_ab D62D@? H96? 96 D6E 2 7C2?49:D6 C64@C5 7@C J2C5D A2DD:?8 2?5 96=A65 E96 }:?6CD C6249 E96 $FA6C q@H= 367@C6 =@D:?8 😕 @G6CE:>6 E@ E96 r9:67D]k^Am

kAmp7E6C E96 }:?6CD DECF88=65 E@ 2 e\“ C64@C5 =2DE D62D@?[ E96J 2C6 324< 😕 E96 A@DED62D@? 282:? H:E9 2?@E96C G:D:E E@ !9:=256=A9:2 @? $F?52J 7@C E96 H:=5\42C5 C@F?5]k^Am

kAm%96 D62D@? 92D?VE 366? 2? 62DJ @?6 7@C !FC5J[ H9@ H2D C6H2C565 7@C 9:D 62C=J DF446DD H:E9 2 7:G6\J62C[ Saed >:==:@? 4@?EC24E 6IE6?D:@? 😕 |2J] !FC5J :?;FC65 9:D E@6 😕 E96 D62D@? @A6?6C 2?5 >:DD65 E96 ?6IE EH@ 82>6D]k^Am

kAmw6 C6EFC?65 2?5 DECF88=65 😕 2 (66< c =@DD E@ y246D 3642FD6 @7 E96 :?;FC65 E@6] w6 C6EFC?65 😕 (66< “ 2?5 BF:4<=J 8@E 324< E@ 9:D @=5 7@C>[ =625:?8 $2? uC2?4:D4@ E@ D:I DEC2:89E H:?D :?4=F5:?8 324<\E@\324< 7:G6 E@F495@H? 82>6D 😕 AC:>6\E:>6 H:?D @G6C x?5:2?2A@=:D 😕 r9:428@ 😕 (66

kAm%92EVD E96 EJA6 @7 A6C7@C>2?46 E96 ch6CD 92G6 8C@H? FD65 E@ D66:?8 7C@> !FC5J]k^Am

kAm“x’G6 8@E E@ D2J[ H96? 96 D9@H65 FA 7C@> E96 7:CDE 82>6 96 A=2J65[ 96 =@@<65 AC6EEJ :?4C65:3=6 😕 E92E 82>6 E@@[” CF??:?8 324< r9C:DE:2? |4r277C6J D2:5] Qw6’D ?6G6C 8@EE6? 6?@F89 4C65:E] (96? x =@@< 2E 9:D C6DF>6 2?5 9@H H6== 96’D A=2J65 E9C@F89@FE 9:D 6?E:C6 42C66C[ 96’D 2 DA64:2= 7@@E32== A=2J6C] w6’D @?6 @7 E96 36DE BF2CE6C324

kAmqFE !FC5J 2?5 E96 $2? uC2?4:D4@ @776?D6 DECF88=65 😕 E96 C68F=2C\D62D@? 7:?2=6 H:E9 E96 }@] ` D665[ 2 7:CDE\C@F?5 3J6 2?5 9@>6\7:6=5 25G2?E286 @? E96 =:?6 282:?DE $62EE=6] %96 }:?6CD >2?2865 @?6 7:6=5 8@2= 😕 2 `b\b =@DD 2D !FC5J H2D 96=5 E@ `af J2C5D @? af 2EE6>AED]k^Am

kAm~776?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@C z=2J zF3:2< D2:5 E92E 92D D6CG65 2D >@E:G2E:@? E9:D H66<]k^Am

kAm“(6 8@E AF?4965 😕 E96 >@FE9[” zF3:2< D2:5] “(6 5:5?’E A=2J 8@@5 2?5 H6 8@E 362E] %92E’D H92E 92AA6?65] x E9:?< @FC 8FJD H6C6 2 =:EE=6 A:DD65 @77] x E9:?< E96J H6C6 5:D2AA@:?E65] (6 H6C6 2== 5:D2AA@:?E65 😕 9@H H6 A=2J65 2?5 9@H H6 4@24965] xE H2D?’E @FC 36DE]”k^Am

k9amx?;FCJ FA52E6k^9am

kAm%96 }:?6CD 8@E D@>6 8@@5 ?6HD @? E96 :?;FCJ 7C@?E H:E9 !C@ q@H= =67E E24<=6 %C6?E (:==:2>D 324< 2E AC24E:46 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 :?;FC:?8 9:D 92>DEC:?8 @? E96 @A6?:?8 D?2A 😕 (66< `f]k^Am

kAm#646:G6C #:42:?D @FE 3FE H2D 23=6 E@ 5@ D@>6 CF??:?8 @? E96 D:56] {:?6324<6C {F<6 v:77@C5 WBF25C:46ADX 5:5?VE AC24E:46 27E6C 36:?8 =:>:E65 @? (65?6D52J] s676?D:G6 =:?6>2? z6:@? (9:E6 W92>DEC:?8[ 8C@:?X 2?5 =:?6324<6C s66 (:?E6CD W2?<=6X 2=D@ C6>2:?65 @FE]k^Am

kAm%:89E 6?5 v6@C86 z:EE=6 W2?<=6X[ 5676?D:G6 E24<=6 y@C52? t==:@EE W66X 2?5 5676?D:G6 =:?6>2? *6EFC vC@DD\|2E@D W66X H6C6 2=D@ =:>:E65]k^Am

kAm{:?6324<6C uC65 (2C?6C[ H9@ 92D 366? @FE D:?46 :?;FC:?8 9:D 2?<=6 😕 (66< e[ H2D 23=6 E@ 5@ D@>6 CF??:?8 @? E96 D:56 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 5FC:?8 2? @A6? A@CE:@? @7 AC24E:46 E@ C6A@CE6CD]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }u{i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?7=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?7=k^2mk^Am







Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.