Brock Purdy shines at 49ers camp (Aug 1, 2025), going 13/14 in drills. But as the QB excels, an injury to RB Jordan James thins the backfield depth.
StatPro NFL Beat Reporter
As the Santa Clara sun beat down on training camp Friday, Brock Purdy was cooking. The 49ers' QB1 looked every bit the part, completing a near-perfect 13 of 14 passes in team drills and showcasing the decisiveness that has become his trademark. But as the offense hummed, a different story was unfolding in the backfield, where a rookie injury forced the front office to make a flurry of moves, highlighting the team's razor-thin depth at a crucial position.
13 of 14. That was Brock Purdy's stat line in team drills, a near-perfect display of efficiency that has the offense looking sharp early.
Let's start with the good news: Brock Purdy looks fantastic. His 13-for-14 performance wasn't just dinking and dunking; reports from camp highlighted his quick decision-making and accuracy, with his lone incompletion being an overthrow to George Kittle. This is a huge development, as the offense appears to be catching up to the notoriously tough 49ers defense much earlier than usual. The rookie wide receivers are direct beneficiaries, consistently getting open and making plays, which is exactly what you want to see as the team moves on from the Deebo Samuel era.
The optimism around the passing game was tempered by concerns over the ground attack. Rookie running back Jordan James, a player many had pegged as a potential surprise, missed his second straight practice with a knee injury. The team's response was swift and telling. The 49ers held tryouts for a quartet of veteran backs—including familiar face Jeff Wilson Jr. and D’Ernest Johnson—before ultimately signing Ameer Abdullah. While Christian McCaffrey is healthy, the scramble to sign a vet shows just how concerned Kyle Shanahan is about the depth behind his superstar.
This year's 49ers squad looks significantly different. For the first time since 2018, neither Deebo Samuel (traded) nor Dre Greenlaw (departed in free agency) is on the roster. They join fellow departed starters Aaron Banks, Talanoa Hufanga, and Charvarius Ward, leaving big shoes to fill. To counter the losses on defense, the team brought back a familiar face in Robert Saleh. Returning as Defensive Coordinator after his head coaching stint with the Jets, Saleh is tasked with rebuilding the unit's identity around a new cast of players and first-round pick Mykel Williams.
With so many veterans gone, the spotlight on the rookie class is intense. First-round defensive lineman Mykel Williams carries the weight of immediate expectations. On offense, multiple unnamed rookie receivers have consistently impressed, building chemistry with Purdy. The injury to Jordan James is a tough blow for a player who was generating sleeper buzz, but it's a stark reminder of the 'next man up' reality in the NFL. The team also shored up its depth by signing tryout players Marquez Callaway, Andy Isabella, and QB Carter Bradley.
While Purdy's early command is a massive green flag, the running back shuffle is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change. The coming week will be critical in seeing how new signings like Abdullah integrate and whether the young receivers can maintain their momentum. With so many new faces on both sides of the ball, every practice rep counts as the 49ers forge their 2025 identity.
