Mike Evans has spent 49ers training camp learning what makes Brock Purdy tick. And it turns out Purdy has been a fan of Evans long before either of them ever set foot on a practice field together.
Asked on Friday what has stood out about Purdy beyond his accuracy, Evans pointed to the quarterback’s habits outside of a game environment — the kind of details that only reveal themselves once you’re sharing a locker room with someone.
“His attention to detail, his consistency, the way he comes to work — first one on the field,” Evans told reporters. “He’s super smart, and he’s quiet, but he’s a fun guy to be around. He likes talking about sports and life and movies and all those other things that I like. That’s been pretty cool.”
For a 12-year NFL veteran who has played alongside plenty of quarterbacks over his career, that kind of endorsement carries weight. Evans has built a reputation as one of the most professional, detail-oriented receivers in the league, and finding those same qualities in his new quarterback appears to have accelerated the trust between them early in camp.
Purdy’s own admiration runs even deeper. Speaking to reporters at training camp on Monday, Purdy admitted that throwing to a receiver he grew up watching still has not fully sunk in.
“I grew up watching him and stuff, and to now be able to throw to him and be on the same team and compete together, for sure, I pinch myself,” Purdy said. “I’m like, this is surreal for me. I’m going to try to give the guy all I’ve got and go out there and win games together.”
Evans arrives in San Francisco with 13,052 career receiving yards and 108 touchdowns, though his streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons was snapped in 2025 due to injury. He will hope to restart that streak with Purdy now at the helm.
Two players, two very different vantage points: A veteran sizing up his new quarterback’s habits, and a quarterback still adjusting to throwing passes to a receiver he once watched from his couch. Both, it turns out, like what they see.
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