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Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN, known for his coverage of the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL since 2016. With a decade of experience at ESPN, Nick has led the coverage of major events including the Niners’ Super Bowl run in 2019, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, and the Rams’ historic drafting of Michael Sam. You can follow Nick on Twitter @nwagoner.
In Santa Clara, California, Brock Purdy, the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, achieved two significant milestones in his recovery from offseason elbow surgery. Coach Kyle Shanahan was initially unsure whether Purdy would play against the Denver Broncos, but he decided to give Purdy the start, aiming to give him a full series.
Purdy, who hadn’t played against an opponent since injuring his right elbow in the NFC Championship Game, got exactly what he needed. With most of the Niners’ projected starters on the field, Purdy led the team on a 69-yard drive that resulted in a field goal, contributing to their 21-20 victory over the Broncos.
Shanahan praised Purdy’s performance, highlighting his successful plays and absence of mistakes. Purdy impressed with a 25-yard gain on a play-action rollout pass to Deebo Samuel. He completed four of his five passes for a total of 65 yards during the drive, despite taking hits and a sack.
Purdy wasn’t concerned about the hits; instead, he saw them as an opportunity to settle into the game. Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have consistently expressed their confidence in Purdy as the team’s starter as long as he is healthy and prepared. With training camp progress and major hurdles overcome, Purdy is expected to start the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 10th.
Regarding the backup job, Sam Darnold replaced Purdy for the second drive, playing most of the third quarter. He demonstrated his abilities by throwing for 109 yards with an interception and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Trey Lance joined the game in the third quarter, playing against the Broncos’ third-team defense. Despite a slow start, Lance finished strong, contributing to the Niners’ comeback win.
Throughout training camp and the preseason, Lance and Darnold have been competing for the backup position. It remains unclear how playing time will be distributed in the final preseason game, but Shanahan expressed satisfaction with the performance of all three quarterbacks in the game against the Broncos.
The focus for Purdy now is to maintain his health leading up to the start of the regular season. With the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers approaching, Purdy is eager to perform consistently and be fully prepared for Week 1.
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