Brock Purdy saw the first kicker of his football career in Week 15 against the Arizona Cardinals.
Now the 49ers quarterback has suffered two stingers in two games.
“I played well the whole game without thinking about it or anything,” Purdy said Monday night after throwing four interceptions in the 49ers' 33-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. “It wasn’t even a thing.”
But in the fourth quarter, Purdy felt the sensation again when Ravens defensive end Jadeveon Clowney threw to him for a 3-yard sack.
“And just the way I approached that game kind of brightened it up, just like it did last week,” Purdy said. “So I had to go through the whole protocol process again in the tent and so on. That’s just how it went.”
A stitch generally occurs when the head is pushed away from the shoulder and the nerves in the neck are stretched. In this case, a stabbing or burning sensation may occur along the course of the nerve into the arm.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that he doesn't believe Purdy will have any lasting effects after suffering two stingers a week apart. The first came just eight days earlier, when Cardinals linebacker Dennis Gardeck made helmet-to-helmet contact with Purdy.
“I just watch him as he was [last] I think he'll be fine from hearing how he's doing in a week after the game and talking to him last night,” Shanahan said in a conference call with reporters. “I don't think it will bother him.
“I'm sure it's painful for him, but overall I think he'll be fine this week.”
The 49ers (11-4) will return to action on Sunday in a critical Week 17 game at the Washington Commanders. The 49ers still occupy the NFC's top playoff spot and can secure the No. 1 seed with wins over the Commanders and Los Angeles Rams at the end of the regular season.
Purdy had his worst game as a college or pro quarterback on Monday night, completing 18 of 32 passes for 255 yards and no touchdowns with four interceptions. He left the game with 7:50 remaining in the fourth quarter, with backup quarterback Sam Darnold replacing him and ending the game.
Purdy said he had spoken with Shanahan about whether he could return to action once he was acquitted.
“We had just talked about the scenario of the game that we were in, I just got a stitch and my arm came back, felt normal and so on,” he said. “Sam had gone in and shot, and he [Shanahan] says, “Right now we're just going with Sam as things go.” And we didn't want anything else to come up with the stinger and all that stuff. But it was exactly where we were situationally. So Sam was fine and we went along with him.”
Darnold led the 49ers on a touchdown drive, pulling the 49ers to within two points. He later threw an interception with a minute left when the 49ers faced a four-and-goal situation from the Ravens' 17-yard line.
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