San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has elected to rest quarterback Brock Purdy for the team’s meaningless regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, but some have been wondering if sitting Purdy is the best idea.
The 49ers will have a first-round bye in the playoffs, so with Purdy not playing in Week 18, that would mean he would be sidelined for two consecutive weekends and nearly three weeks overall.
Purdy himself was concerned about having too much rest going into the postseason, as he told reporters “that’s something I brought up to Kyle,” via Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle.
But Shanahan assuaged Purdy by telling him that he once had 16 days off in between the 49ers’ final preseason game and their Week 1 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The result? Purdy went 19-for-29 with 220 yards and a couple of touchdowns, and San Francisco won by a convincing score of 30-7.
Not only that, but following the Niners’ Week 9 bye, Purdy went 19-for-26 with 296 yards and three touchdowns—posting his second-best passer rating of the season in the process—in a blowout victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“That’s something that feels good to go back and remind myself about,” Purdy said. “And not only that, I’m going to be practicing against a really good defense – obviously our guys – for a couple weeks, too. It’s not like I’m going to be sitting on the couch for the next couple weeks doing absolutely nothing.”
While Purdy added that it felt “odd” not preparing for the Rams in practice this week, he understands why Shanahan is opting to roll this way.
“Obviously, were doing what’s best for the team and the organization,” said Purdy. “Always have to remember that and have that in mind. But the competitor in me, obviously I want to play and compete all the time.”
Brock Purdy has thrown for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 69.4 percent of his passe and posting a league-high 113 passer rating this season. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl this week.
The 49ers are 12-4.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
