National Football League

Brock Purdy’s elbow, Nick Bosa’s contract top storylines as 49ers enter camp

Published Jul. 24, 2023 3:13 p.m. ET

Dan Manucci has been working with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy since Purdy was a freshman at Perry High in Gilbert, Arizona. So Manucci has an intimate understanding of the 23-year-old Iowa State product's commitment to improvement.

And despite Purdy's long road to recovery after surgery to repair the UCL in his right elbow in March, his private coach through high school and college believes the QB is attacking the rehab just like anything else he's done in his football career.

"He's just a bound-and-determined guy who wants to do it right over and over and over again," Manucci told FOX Sports. "Whether it's throwing mechanics or whatever I used to give him to work on, he hones in.

"His work ethic is paramount to his success. There is a perseverance and a focus that Brock has, that I see when I watched him his rookie year. He just has that innate ability to stay dialed in all the time."

So far, Purdy has lived up to Manucci's sentiments. According to reports, the QB is steadily progressing through his rehab.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan expressed optimism with reporters at the end of offseason work last month, saying Purdy is ahead of schedule in his rehab. Niners GM John Lynch added the hope that Purdy could be ready to participate on some level for training camp and perhaps will be healthy enough to start the regular season.

Throughout the offseason, Purdy rehabbed in Jacksonville, Florida, with throwing coach Will Hewlett and orthopedic specialist Tom Gormely of QB Collective. The QB's recovery timetable is one of five key storylines to watch as the veterans report to training camp on Tuesday for this team with Super Bowl aspirations.

The return of Brock Purdy

Crowned "Mr. Irrelevant" as the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Purdy's play after subbing in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo was a revelation.

Purdy threw for 1,943 passing yards, completing 65.5% of his passes with 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions, finishing with a 108-passer rating. The 49ers finished 8-1 in games Purdy played, reaching the NFC Championship Game before he suffered his elbow injury in the opening quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Will Brock Purdy replicate his rookie season success?

With a talented roster that includes Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco is built to win now. If Purdy is not healthy enough to start the opener at Pittsburgh on Sept. 10, it will likely be either Sam Darnold or Trey Lance at quarterback.

But if Purdy can return from the first significant injury in his football career and play close to the efficient football he played last year, the 49ers certainly have a chance to get back to the NFC Championship and beyond in 2023.

Purdy also suffered an oblique injury that almost forced him to miss a Week 15 contest on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, but he gutted it out and helped lead the 49ers to a win that clinched the NFC West.

Manucci said Purdy was put in a position to succeed by being selected by the 49ers, being coached every day by former NFL quarterback Brian Griese and playing behind Garoppolo and Lance in training camp his rookie season.

Having Shanahan calling plays and steadily growing in the offense also paid dividends for Purdy.

"I think a lot of people realized how good of an athlete Brock Purdy is," Manucci said. "He's quick. He's fast. And I don't think they give him enough credit for how strong his arm is. Everybody says, ‘Well, it's strong enough.' But I beg to differ. It's stronger than you think. And his anticipation and timing are things I don't think people give him enough credit for, too."

Nick Bosa next up for long-term deal

The Ohio State product has been a dominant force since entering the league as the No. 2 overall selection in the 2019 draft.

Bosa earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors that season and was voted NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 after posting 18.5 sacks during the regular season. He's been selected to three Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors in 2022. Bosa's 34 sacks over the past two seasons since returning from a season-ending knee injury in 2020 tops the NFL.

At 25 years old and entering the final season of his rookie deal, Bosa is coming into the prime of his career, which is why he's expected to cash in with a contract extension likely before the season starts.

Bosa is set to make nearly $18 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. He could be in line for a contract that pays him north of $30 million a year, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league.

49ers transition to defensive coordinator Steve Wilks

The loss of defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans to the Houston Texans as that team's head coach left a talent void for San Francisco's No. 1-ranked defense. Shanahan hired experienced defensive guru Steve Wilks to fill it.

The former Carolina Panthers head coach has extensive experience as a defensive playcaller. But his calling card is working with the secondary, which should help improve the team's potential weak spot on that side of the ball.

The 49ers could also be in line for more blitzing and man coverage, something Wilks leaned on at other stops in the league. According to Next Gen Stats, the Panthers blitzed 35.6% of the time last season, No. 4 in the NFL. San Francisco blitzed 24% of the time in 2022.

Whatever changes Wilks has in store San Francisco, re-creating his team's defensive philosophy and integrating new high-dollar free agent defensive tackle Javon Hargrave will be at the top of the list as the 49ers start training camp.

Shoring up offensive-line issues

San Francisco has playmakers all over the field on offense and one of the best offensive tackles in the game in Trent Williams.

However, the 49ers do have to replace two key players up front lost in free agency: former first-round right tackle Mike McGlinchey, who signed with the Denver Broncos, and part-time starter guard Daniel Brunskill, who signed with the Tennessee Titans.

Fourth-year pro Colton McKivitz is set to fill the void left by McGlinchey and second-year pro Spencer Burford takes over as the full-time starter after splitting time with Brunskill at right guard. So the 49ers seem to have the guys in place to continue to have continuity up front.

The 49ers played five different starting offensive line combinations last season and allowed just 31 sacks up front, second-best in the NFL.

But Williams staying healthy as the anchor up front is important. The 35-year-old All-Pro left tackle missed five games combined over the past two seasons due to injury.

Can foundational players stay healthy?

On the subject of injuries, the 49ers finished last season without a healthy quarterback, one of the reasons Shanahan signed veteran signal-callers Darnold and Brandon Allen.

Overall, the 49ers were No. 24 in Football Outsiders' Adjusted Games Lost metric in 2022 after finishing No. 29 in 2021.

Frontline players like Arik Armstead, Elijah Mitchell, Williams, Bosa, Kittle and Samuel all missed time due to injuries last season. However, the 49ers have one of the deepest rosters in the NFL and were able to have replacements in place to help them play winning football.

With Purdy returning from elbow surgery, Shanahan likely will need to lean on reinforcements again to compete for another NFC West crown and make a run for the Super Bowl.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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