San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy made a somewhat controversial assertion about one of the root causes of the team’s poor 2024 campaign.
In an appearance on the “Built 4 More” podcast, Purdy suggested that fatigue was a major cause of the team’s 6-11 season. The quarterback noted that three years of deep playoff runs left the team too beaten up for another repeat performance.
“Last year, man, guys were tired,” Purdy said, via David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone. “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 looks to pass
Dec 17, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Niners went to the NFC Championship game in 2021 and 2022, then lost the Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. The season started with a calf injury to star running back Christian McCaffrey, and it never really got better after that.
Despite injuries and whatever fatigue they may have been dealing with, the 49ers got off to a 5-4 start. They completely collapsed down the stretch and lost seven of their final eight games, which might back up Purdy’s point.
The 49ers have had a relatively quiet offseason, and their biggest move involved subtracting a player rather than adding one. Part of that is because Purdy has a monster contract extension coming his way, but the team might also be betting that a full offseason of rest will make them a playoff contender again in 2025.