Brock Purdy

Why Manning believes Purdy, 49ers offense will bounce back in 2025

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ORLANDO, Fla., — Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning believes Brock Purdy and the 49ers are set up for a bounce-back 2025 season.

The NFL alum spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area while coaching the AFC team at the Pro Bowl and shared why he thought Purdy had a more challenging third NFL season.

“They had a ton of injuries,” Manning said. “I think for a quarterback, continuity, when you have the same receivers, running back and tight ends behind you, and next to you, every single series, every single game, that helps you as a quarterback.”

Purdy led an offense that did play a single game with all of its starters on the field at the same time. Running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Ricky Pearsall, plus left tackle Trent Williams all missed multiple games.

“Not saying that you can’t win if you have different guys in there, but it makes it tougher,” Manning continued. “And I think with a lot of their injuries, with Christian having some injures, Deebo, and Aiyuk out there, he signed late and Pearsall was injured. That makes it tough, but Brock is a competitive guy and I see them bouncing back and having a better year next year.”

The 49ers are set to have all of their offensive playmakers return in the coming season, with only Aiyuk’s return having an uncertain timetable. The star wide receiver suffered a season ending ACL injury in Week 7 of the 2024 season. 

Maybe the biggest factor this offseason is how quickly the 49ers produce a long-term extension with Purdy himself. The quarterback spoke at the end of the season about wanting to get the deal done before the offseason program starts, in order to hit the ground running on the field as soon as possible.

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Manning knows all too well that a mega-contract can put added pressure on a young quarterback with a much higher set of expectations by the team, teammates and fans alike.

“There’s no doubt about it, when you earn a contract like that, there’s definitely expectations that come with that,” Manning said. “My reminder to players is that it’s not a reward for what you’ve done, it’s an advance on for what we’d like you to do now.

“That’s what players need to remember. You’ve got to go and earn that. It means he’s been a good player, but now we need you to go and be a better player. I think Brock is wired the right way, understands that there’s expectation that come with being an NFL quarterback for the 49ers and I think he will answer the bell.”

There has been no news from either Purdy’s representation or the 49ers regarding the status of their discussions, but both sides have expressed a desire to get a deal done, with the intention of making the young quarterback the franchise’s highest-paid player. 

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