ESPN Projects 49ers Quarterback Brock Purdy to Return to Form

Last season couldn't have gone much worse for Brock Purdy.

He lost all but one close game he played in. To be fair, the 49ers lost those games as a team -- Purdy wasn't solely at fault. But when the 49ers needed him to carry the offense during critical moments while other stars were out, Purdy failed.

Now, most of those stars on offense are back. The one who isn't fully healthy yet is Brandon Aiyuk, but he will return midseason.

That's why ESPN projects Purdy to return to form this year.

"2023's No. 6 QB regressed some in 2024, certainly in part because of the health of others surrounding him," writes ESPN senior fantasy football writer Eric Karabell. "Purdy still performed at a high level, finishing third in yards per attempt and more than doubling his rushing production. The 49ers were quick to make a long-term investment in Purdy, hardly forgetting his monster 2023 season. Purdy has the skills to be a safe QB1 option, but he sure isn't being drafted that way."

From a fantasy football perspective, there are reasons to be concerned about Purdy in 2025. For one, his interception perception has gone up three years in a row. In 2022, it was 2.4 percent. In 2023, 2.5 percent. And in 2024, 2.6 percent. That's a trend. Keep in mind, the league average last season was 2.2 percent.

In addition. Purdy's touchdown percentage has gone down three years in a row, from 7.6 percent in 2022, to 7.0 percent in 2023, to a dreary 4.4 percent in 2024 (the league average was 4.5 percent last season. That's another troubling trend.

The league may be beginning to catch up to Purdy as a passer. He can't see the whole field from the pocket because he's short for a quarterback, so he often throws blindly to spots, anticipating where his receivers will be. This leads to some incredible completions and some awful interceptions as well.

He needs to get back to checking the ball down to his running backs, otherwise his numbers will continue to get worse.