Brock Purdy's 2023 NFL season, his first full campaign as the 49ers' starting quarterback, could not have gone better.
For the most part.
A win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII certainly would have been the perfect way to cap off a storybook season, but San Francisco came up short in the big game yet again.
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However, that shouldn't diminish Purdy's accomplishments this season, for which there were many. The 24-year-old put up historic numbers, setting franchise and league records on his way to his first Pro Bowl nod while receiving MVP consideration.
In speaking to reporters Tuesday, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about Purdy's Super Bowl performance and how much of the loss falls on his young quarterback's shoulders. Shanahan not only was impressed with Purdy's performance on Sunday but was blown away by how he played all season.
“I thought Brock was unbelievable," Shanahan said. "I mean, everyone has plays in a game, every single person that you want to take back. But Brock not turning the ball over in that game, making a number of plays, taking us down there to take the lead earlier on, I mean, at the very end of the game to take us down to take the lead.
"I thought we didn't get it done, so none of us, all of us obviously could have done another thing. But I was real happy with how Brock played and real happy with how he played this year. And I thought Brock was unbelievable. I mean, one of the most impressive seasons I've been around for a football player and a quarterback and he was just a stud through it all.”
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As poised and comfortable as Purdy looked under center this season, there still is room for improvement. Shanahan knows a fully healthy offseason will benefit his young quarterback who always is eager to learn and improve.
“Brock, just anything that he's struggled with this year, when we watch cut-ups together he needs time to correct it but those are things he'll figure out that he struggled with because we'll be able to put it all on tape and show him and he'll see it right away and he'll get that done throughout OTAs and have it good by training camp," Shanahan explained. "I mean, that's how he was last year, mentally.
"Some of the things he would see that he struggled with during the year that we couldn't quite correct during the year because Wednesday, Thursday, Friday practices aren't really like that. It's hard to develop some of that muscle memory and things. You're just trying to get through the game plan and get ready for a new defense. But I remember last year when he saw some things and he would just be like, ‘man, now I see it all together. Like I'll be all right when I come back.’ And we didn't know because he was hurt, but by the time he got in training camp he had it solved."
Purdy and the 49ers will take their time digesting the team's latest gut-wrenching loss, but soon enough it will be time to get back to work in preparation for another Super Bowl run next season.