SANTA CLARA — Before Brock Purdy took the field in his role as the 49ers’ starting quarterback, the team’s high-profile midseason acquisition saw something special in him.
Running back Christian McCaffrey relied heavily on Purdy for the first few weeks after coming to the 49ers in a trade from the Carolina Panthers. McCaffrey took a crash course in offense from coach Kyle Shanahan, and Purdy spent hours tutoring him.
“I saw greatness in him right there,” McCaffrey told NBC Sports Bay Area during a sit-down interview for the latest 49ers Talk podcast.
Ambitious?
McCaffrey didn’t blink. yes, size McCaffrey recognized something about Purdy that he valued – a unique drive similar to the one he possesses.
“In a way, that’s a lot of newbies, and I think I was a little bit like that myself,” McCaffrey said. “Obviously I wanted to be great.
“He doesn’t act like a beginner. He doesn’t act like a novice in the huddle. And he plays with a quiet confidence that’s rare, especially among rookie quarterbacks.”
The 49ers open the NFL playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday. The team ended the regular season on a 10-game winning streak, and the former third-string quarterback wasn’t all there.
Purdy played an important role in the 49ers’ last six wins. But even before he got on the field for a game, Purdy made contributions behind the scenes.
McCaffrey spent more one-on-ones with Purdy than any other player on the team after arriving in Santa Clara at the Blockbuster trade on Oct. 21.
Purdy would present the plays to McCaffrey, and they would go through each line of the team’s game plan for those first few weeks. McCaffrey said he gained so much from hearing Purdy’s plays instead of just reading and memorizing them.
“When you hear them, that’s how it’s conveyed to you in the group,” McCaffrey said. “He came out and spent a lot of extra time with me. I knew he was selfless. I knew he was of good character and he was learning too. So it was good for both of us.
“It showed good character as a rookie quarterback to go out there and have that extra time with me. I was very thankful for that. Looking back, it wasn’t a shock that he did. He wants to be great and that shows in training every day.”
Purdy was instrumental in helping McCaffrey transition to the new offense, and it wasn’t long before the 49ers benefited from all the extra work.
In his ninth day with the organization, McCaffrey became the first player in 49ers history To passing, rushing, and receiving touchdowns in a game. His performance in the 49ers’ 31-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams was McCaffrey’s first start – the start of her current winning streak.
Soon Purdy would step into the limelight as well. He took over against the Miami Dolphins on December 4 when Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot.
In Purdy’s five starts to conclude the regular season, he completed 85 of 124 pass attempts (68.5 percent) for 1,098 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions. His passer rating on these starts was 119.0.
RELATED: Aiyuk thinks the 49ers’ offense is still growing with rookie Purdy
McCaffrey said he immediately recognized qualities in Purdy that could lead him to success.
“I knew right away that he was someone who cared a lot for him,” McCaffrey said. “That sounds a bit strange. It’s the NFL and everyone cares. But there was another level of urgency I saw in him.
“Even though he was the third-string quarterback that year, he knew he could play. He had confidence.”
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast