SANTA CLARA, Calif. — A day after their most grueling practice of training camp to date, the San Francisco 49ers enjoyed a lighter session in cooler temperatures on Saturday. Quarterback Brock Purdy, though, continued to heat up.
Purdy, who had finished Saturday’s marathon with a crisp two-minute drive that featured a perfect back-shoulder touchdown throw to receiver Jauan Jennings, threw only three incompletions on Sunday. Two of those were drops on excellent throws. The 49ers’ pass offense found a nice rhythm even without two of its top targets, as receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s hold-in continues and his fellow wideout Deebo Samuel took his first veteran day off of camp.
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“(Missing those two) makes me play quarterback really efficiently,” Purdy said after practice. “When they’re on the field, my antenna’s up. If I do get this look, I’m more like likely to throw to Aiyuk or Deebo. So a day like this was good for me to go through all my reads.”
The result: Impressive receptions for Chris Conley and Ronnie Bell — wideouts who don’t make as many headlines as their famous counterparts, but who have both been productive this camp. Bell made a pair of contested catches, including one that came on an off-schedule, cross-body throw from Purdy as the quarterback rolled away from edge rusher Leonard Floyd to his left.
Conley plays Aiyuk’s “X” receiver position, so he’s occupying a particularly important role during the latter’s contract standoff. Conley had only five catches last season, but two came in the playoffs. That included a huge 17-yard grab from Purdy on the 49ers’ game-winning drive against the Green Bay Packers.
“He has that veteran mindset — he’s smart,” Purdy said. “He knows the details of our offense. He knows where he needs to be in terms of the timing, the concepts, the plays. Chris has that older veteran-ness to him.”
Brock Purdy to Chris Conley — a very reliable connection for the 49ers going back to the playoffs and stretching into this training camp pic.twitter.com/wcVsnaMbtA
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) August 4, 2024
Timing and rapport were on full display on that playoff catch against Green Bay. Purdy delivered the throw on the deep out before Conley came out of his break, an indicator of trust between quarterback and target.
On Sunday, Purdy emphasized that it takes time to develop that sort of rapport with his receivers. He and Conley are clearly in sync — the wideout caught a crosser in stride the day after Purdy connected with him deep for a 60-yard touchdown — but the 49ers will have to spend this month fostering other connections.
Purdy said it typically takes “a couple weeks” to acclimate new receivers — and they’ll likely need at least some time to rebuild rhythm with Aiyuk if and when his contractual situation is resolved. The 49ers are in the preparatory window with rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall, who made two more catches on Sunday.
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“I think he’s getting better and better, just more comfortable within our offense, but I think we need more reps to throw him the ball, need more opportunities and looks,” Purdy said. “And that’ll come. I’m confident in that.
” … We have to go over so much detail within our routes, our concepts, our timing, all of that. It’s not a couple days and you feel good and you’re ready to play a game. It takes time, especially in our offense and our scheme.”
That’s why the 49ers are especially thankful for the relatively newfound stability they have at QB this season with Purdy. A season ago, Purdy spent camp returning from elbow surgery. Though he ended the season as the NFL’s top-rated quarterback, the dog days of August certainly did feature some lumps and growing pains.
The process has been crisper this time and Sunday’s sharp session illustrated that. Purdy is entrenched now, and he explained how he’s graduated to more detailed areas of focus in 2024.
“I have to find ways to be uncomfortable and still walk in the huddle, command it, break it — and not just think that the game’s easy because it’s not,” Purdy said, before offering an example of an added challenge he’s taken on at practice this year. “The play clock (is on now), so I’m not thinking about the play all day. I have that sense of urgency now. ‘Hey, let’s go, we don’t have time.’ Let’s make it more realistic. That’s the level I’m at now.”
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Odds & ends
• Samuel, fellow receivers Malik Turner, Jacob Cowing and Tay Martin, punter Mitch Wishnowsky, cornerback Darrell Luter Jr., tight end Logan Thomas, running backs Elijah Mitchell and Isaac Guerendo, linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, defensive lineman Sam Okuayinonu, and offensive linemen Ben Bartch, Spencer Burford and Pat Elflein all missed practice.
Fullback Kyle Juszczyk has held for kicker Jake Moody’s field goals over the two practices that Wishnowsky has missed with an undisclosed issue.
Burford, Martin and Cowing all ran sprints on the side of the field. Martin and Cowing are both expected to return this coming week from their hamstring injuries.
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• Dee Winters and Jalen Graham, the 49ers’ two second-year linebackers, saw some first-team action at the Sam linebacker spot with Flannigan-Fowles out.
“They’re just getting better because it’s starting to click for them,” 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said after practice. “And I talk about, speed, violence and finish. To me, a lot of speed is, yeah, you run fast, but speed is also your preparation and your knowledge of the game. Because you hear veteran guys say it all the time, ‘how the game slowed down for me.’
“You look so much faster because it did slow down, because now you’re more comfortable and you’re understanding. Now you anticipate based on motions and alignments and the stuff happens as you think it should happen, now you can go make plays. That’s where you see Dee almost had a pick today in that backed-up period because again, the game’s slowing down and he’s playing faster. Same with Jalen.”
(Photo: D. Ross Cameron / USA Today)
