49ers Training Camp: Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold Both Impressing Against Loaded Defense

Purdy appears locked in as the starter and made the play of Monday’s practice, but Darnold’s mistake-free camp is turning heads.

My Uber driver immediately asked me if I was going to the Taylor Swift concert after realizing I was headed toward Levi’s Stadium.

He was disappointed to learn I was headed there Monday morning for 49ers practice, the sixth stop on my nine-team training camp tour (a lot shorter than Swift’s Eras Tour). He was hoping for another busy day of work, but the “Anti-Hero” singer left the Bay Area a week ago. At least she was there, though.

Nick Bosa, the 49ers’ star edge rusher, hasn’t been around the facility since the start of training camp because he’s holding out for a contract extension. But 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan doesn’t seem worried about the contract dispute affecting the start of the regular season next month.

“I have as much confidence in Nick as any player that I’ve ever been around in terms of how he prepares and everything,” Shanahan said. “I know they’re going to get it right, both sides. I’m excited for when I do see him.”

The 49ers’ final open practice of training camp turned out to be the hottest one of the summer, with the temperature going as high as 87 degrees in Santa Clara, Calif.

At one point, I went to find some shade for a few minutes while the team worked on punts. (Sorry for ignoring you, special teams.) But I wrote down plenty of notes throughout the two-hour workout session. One of my notes read: Christian McCaffrey is still very good.

Here are much more detailed observations from my visit with the 49ers.

Brock Purdy earned the starting quarterback job with his excellent play down the stretch last season, and he looked the part on Monday :: Robert Edwards/USA TODAY Sports

Best play I saw: Brock Purdy displayed great footwork and patience in the pocket when he threw a laser down the right sideline to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III.

Purdy placed the ball through a tight window to allow McCloud to make the highlight catch with All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga and defensive back Deommodore Lenoir in the vicinity.

With two days off, Purdy appeared to be at full strength and not limited by the throwing arm injury that prevented him from participating in the offseason program. Purdy took all of the first-team reps, with Sam Darnold and Trey Lance splitting time with the second team.

Best thing I heard: Shanahan was asked about a nearly-intercepted pass from Darnold that was tipped by linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles during red-zone drills.

If you’re a Jets fan, you’re probably thinking this was another question about Darnold’s issues with protecting the football. But he hasn’t thrown an interception during his first training camp with San Francisco, according to the local beat reporters.

“You sure?” Shanahan said about Darnold’s stat. “He threw one two days ago. Positive? You guys are pretty good at charting the stats. … I would bet you guys on that. Are we allowed to bet on that?”

“Well, either way, it’s a low number, right?” the reporter responded.

Darnold playing clean football this training camp explains why he’s gotten more snaps with the second team than Lance.

Rookie who caught my eye: Safety Ji’Ayir Brown, the 49ers’ third-round pick, plays with an edge. I noticed he enjoys trash talking with his veteran offensive teammates to let them know he belongs on the field.

Brown has had a strong camp and will likely crack the rotation in the 49ers’ secondary thanks to his confidence and knack for making plays. It also helps that he’s getting to learn from Hufanga, another mid-round pick the 49ers got right. Hufanga was selected in the fifth round of the 2021 draft.

Veteran who caught my eye: Flannigan-Fowles didn’t give Darnold his first interception of training camp, but he did complete a takeaway a few plays earlier against Lance.

Flannigan-Fowles, a fourth-year player, jumped the route to perfectly time the interception during Lance’s first pass in team drills. After his third notable play of the day, I made sure to remember the name of the linebacker in the No. 45 jersey.

It’s wild how loaded the 49ers are at linebacker. Flannigan-Fowles and Oren Burks mainly contribute on special teams because they play behind Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw.

Playlist nickname: Something for everyone. The 49ers had a nice mix of classic rock hits with current hip-hop songs.

The first song of the day was “YMCA” by Village People, which included a performance by the 49ers’ rookies, who did hand signals for the iconic song in front of the many fans sporting red.

Metallica’s “Seek and Destroy” played during the entirety of the individuals portion of practice. I’m exaggerating here, but I was surprised to learn the song is nearly seven minutes long. “Back in Black” by AC/DC was another memorable rock song from the team’s playlist.

But it seemed most fans in attendance were pleased to hear “Hotel Lobby” by Quavo and Takeoff. A lot of bobbing heads for that one.