Banks Praise Purdy’s ‘Confidence’ and Better Leadership Skills originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy was quickly thrown into a leadership position when he was named the 49ers’ starting quarterback in Week 13 of the 2023 season.
The young quarterback’s success didn’t come as a surprise to guard Aaron Banks, who saw Purdy’s demeanor from the first day he arrived at team headquarters.
“Brock came in with a certain confidence and swagger that you see in a leader,” Banks said after Wednesday’s minicamp practice. “And I think he’s started to delve deeper into that as he’s spent more years as the starting quarterback.”
2024 is the first full off-season for Purdy, after getting few reps as a rookie in 2022 and not seeing the field in 2023 while recovering from successful UCL surgery. Banks was impressed with Purdy as a rookie and that hasn’t changed.
“He was confident then, but he’s more confident now,” Banks said. “He took on a more assertive role in the group and in the locker room. It’s difficult to give an example. It’s just a feeling you get from a guy.”
Without taking real reps with the offense during the 2023 offseason – including all of training camp, Purdy had a remarkable season. The Iowa State product was even named a finalist for both Comeback Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year for his record-breaking performance.
During OTAs, Purdy was already seen on the field training newer members of the team, including free agents and rookies. The 24-year-old quarterback’s leadership has been valuable, as without it the team’s likelihood of reaching the NFL playoffs is very unlikely.
“I’m excited to see what Brock comes out with this year,” Banks said. “I think he is very confident. I think he’s starting to take on that leadership role. One thing I noticed from Brock is that his behavior hasn’t changed.
“As far as his work ethic and how he comes to work every day. It’s been the same thing from day one when he got to OTAs two years ago until now.”
The 49ers have been excused for the 40-day summer break, but rest assured Purdy will return to Santa Clara ready to go when they reconvene for training camp in mid-July.
