For long stretches this season, the San Francisco 49ers had to live without starting quarterback Brock Purdy. But he’s back now, and he’s fresh from one the best performances of his career Week 16.
Purdy carved up the Indianapolis Colts in a 48–27 win, going 25-of-34 for 295 yards and a career-high five touchdown passes. He finished with a very impressive 126.8 passer rating.
His efforts certainly didn’t go unnoticed, as the NFL named Purdy the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. The Niners QB joins running back Christian McCaffrey as the only players to win it for the 49ers this season.
“He did awesome, man,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said after beating the Colts, per 49ers Webzone. “Played really well. I got on him for a couple he missed, but it was pretty close to a perfect game, so he did a hell of a job.”
This Was 2nd NFC Player of the Week Win for 49ers QB Brock Purdy
GettyBrock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his Week 16 performance vs. the Colts.
This was the second time in his career Purdy was named as the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week. The first was back in Week 11 of the 2023 season.
Through seven games this season, Purdy has thrown for 1,737 yards with 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions, with a 102.1 passer rating. He’s been on a bit of a tear recently. His performance agains tthe Colts game followed a three-touchdown outing against Tennessee in Week 15, giving him back-to-back games with three-plus TD passes.
Purdy’s 2025 campaign was disrupted by a toe injury earlier this season that left him inactive for a total of eight games. He sure looks healthy now, though, and his hot streak couldn’t be coming at a better time for the Niners.
Week 17 Preview: Bears at 49ers (Sunday Night Football)
Next up for Purdy and the 49ers are the Chicago Bears (11–4), who head to Levi’s Stadium for a 7:20 p.m. CT kickoff. Both teams are still chasing the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Chicago’s pass defense is in the lower half of the league in terms of yards allowed (Dennis Allen’s unit is giving up 348.1 yards per game through the air). If Chicago can muddy his first read and tackle well enough to contain CMC’s run-after-catch game, the Bears have a chance to win this one.
“I think they just have really good athletes. They’ve got good ball skills,” Purdy said about Chicago’s defense. “When the ball’s in the air, they’re aggressive, they don’t hesitate. Obviously their guys have length and just athletic ability across the board. And I just feel like they’re really well-coached when it comes to being aggressive and not trying to second guess things.”
One huge storyline to monitor: San Francisco’s All-Pro tight end George Kittle left the Colts game with an ankle injury and is considered to have a chance to play against Chicago. It may be a slim one, but Kittle’s toughness knows no bounds. If he can go, he’s going to be a problem for Chicago.
It’ll be a huge matchup for both teams, but with Purdy playing as well as he has been, you have to like San Francisco’s chances.
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