The San Francisco 49ers have been forced to start backup quarterback Mac Jones for most of the season, as Brock Purdy has been sidelined with injury. Purdy was finally healthy enough to go on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, and he didn’t look like he lost a step in time away.
The Niners’ franchise quarterback threw for over 200 yards and three touchdowns in his return to action, leading San Francisco to a dominant 41-22 win.
After the game, Purdy told reporters that he wasn’t thinking about his toe injury at all once he stepped between the lines.
“No, I didn’t even think about it, honestly, in the game or anything,” Purdy said, according to 49ersWebzone.com. “At practice and everything, that’s where I tested it all out. I’m like, at practice, rolling out, ‘All right, do I feel it, do I not?’ No, I don’t, I feel great.
“And then come [game-time] when I warmed up and everything, I didn’t even think about it. It felt great. Throughout the game and stuff, I was able to do everything — scramble, keepers, roll-outs, step up in the pocket. I played quarterback.”
Purdy said that he felt comfortable after connecting with tight end George Kittle for a 30-yard score.
“It felt good just getting into a rhythm, for sure, (hitting) the guys and (having) some big gains and then to hit that one, it was like, ‘Yeah, we’re playing. We’re in an NFL game.’ …It just felt good for my confidence and everything,” he said.
“But outside of that, man, it’s football. I’ve been here before and I was just trying to settle back into who I am and and how I play quarterback.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.