The San Francisco 49ers had one of their worst seasons in recent memory. The 49ers went from sitting atop the NFC and playing the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 to finishing in last place in the NFC West (6-11).
There were many reasons why things went downhill for the 49ers in 2024. The injury bug played a part, which ravaged San Francisco’s running back room.
However, San Francisco starting quarterback Brock Purdy believes that fatigue from the last two seasons played a part in the team’s performance this past season. Purdy discussed this on the most recent Built 4 More podcast episode.
"Last year, man, guys were tired," Purdy said (h/t 49ers WebZone). "That season is no joke, and when you go from July of training and everything, all the way to the end of February, and then you really get five weeks off or so [until] you've got to report back, and then you're going again, guys are tired. They're still beat up, their bodies."
Some football fans might see Purdy’s excuse as weak because the Kansas City Chiefs have been able to make multiple deep playoff runs, which included three-straight trips to the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs dealt with their share of injuries on offense, but they pushed through and won a tough AFC to advance to the Super Bowl. The 49ers did not have the same luck, as they could not recapture that magic from 2023.
As for Purdy, the former seventh-round pick completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,864 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. This was a far cry from what he saw from Purdy in 2023, where he had a 69.4 completion percentage while throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 TDs, and 11 interceptions.
However, if there was some upside in Purdy’s performance last season, he racked up 323 yards on the ground and five scores, both career highs. With Purdy due to get an extension soon and the 49ers letting a lot of guys walk this offseason, he’ll have immense pressure on his shoulders to get this team back to the top of the NFC.