George Kittle defended Brock Purdy ahead of a pivotal season in San Francisco in 2025. He’s heard all the doubters questioning whether Purdy is worth $53 million per year or not, despite reaching the Super Bowl in 2023. That’s exactly what you want from the locker room. But in an effort to defend his quarterback, he’s also ramping up the pressure on him to perform well.
"We all still have something to prove every single day," Kittle said Tuesday during an appearance on FanDuel TV's Up & Adams, h/t NFL.com. "So, for the people that like saying that, you know, 'He's got something to prove,' good for them. I think Brock is just gonna continue to elevate his game and continue to play at a high level. That's all we really care about. I want to be around guys that strive to be better every single day. I don't like being around people who are content because complacency is not a good thing in a locker room. So, if our players are continually practicing their asses off, continually getting better every single day, and they have the desire to get better every day, I'm in a great room, I'm in a great building. So, I'm just happy to be around guys that are like that, and Brock is definitely one of those guys."
The 49ers not only paying Purdy but slashing some key players to afford him in Dre Greenlaw and Deebo Samuel means Purdy’s margin of error is quite slim. He doesn’t have the luxury of a slow start or injuries affecting his game play. He has to come in and immediately bring this 49ers team back to the top of the NFC West.
George Kittle defends Brock Purdy, adding even more pressure on the San Francisco 49ers quarterback
I agree with Kittle, everyone has something to prove, even when they're one of the best in their position. But for Purdy, his biggest problem has been he’s been surrounded by weapons and hasn’t really had to do much to elevate this team. He was handed Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, Kittle, and Samuel and told, essentially, not to turn the ball over.
Now that he’s lost Samuel and Aiyuk is coming off a major knee injury, this season will truly tell us if the 49ers were right to believe in Purdy or not. He will still have Kittle and McCaffrey, but now there will be more pressure on him to make this offense better. With less weapons and younger ones at that, he has to prove he’s good enough to make the team around him better.
His first three seasons in the NFL, he didn’t have to do much aside from not make mistakes. This season, he’ll have to play like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL because he’s getting paid like one. Just like Trevor Lawrence will have a microscope on him this season as he on the verge of being considered overpaid, Purdy will have to avoid those same accusations.
Maybe we’re putting too much pressure on Purdy though. After all, he was the last pick in the NFL Draft in 2022. He wasn’t supposed to be a starter in the NFL, let alone a franchise player. But all that changed when he signed for nearly $300 million over the course of five years.
With the massive paycheck comes even greater expectations. Kittle is right to defend his quarterback and diminish the spotlight on him. But it won’t change the fact that this will be the most important season of Purdy’s career. This is his chance to prove he’s one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Or he’ll be questioned the rest of his NFL career.