​San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy throws a touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams during their game in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 (Thursday, Sept. 10 in California). (Doug Benc/Associated Press)
With the San Francisco 49ers poised to host the Dolphins on Sunday, 1,386 days after Miami last visited Santa Clara, it can be easy to forget that Brock Purdy’s NFL career is a Disney movie.On Dec. 4, 2022, the opening credits began rolling. You know the script. Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a broken foot. Purdy entered. On Thursday, tight end George Kittle recalled the mood when the untested rookie who was the 262nd and last pick in the draft became QB1.”You guys have all seen the video of (linebackers coach) Johnny Holland on the sideline, and he goes, ‘Oh, Brock Purdy’s in? Oh,'” Kittle said. “I think that was everybody’s reaction.”Purdy led the 49ers to a 33-17 win over Miami while wearing No. 13. That’s the number he’s worn to recognize Dan Marino, the Dolphins legend who was his dad’s boyhood hero and was watching Purdy that day from a luxury suite at Levi’s Stadium. In other words, Disney stuff.”It was just one game, but it was an extremely special game,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “It was foreshadowing how the following three years would go after that game.”With the Dolphins returning to Levi’s on Sunday, Purdy hopes he’s recaptured some of that early career magic in 2026. Not that Purdy has struggled since he led the 49ers to the Super Bowl and finished fourth in the NFL MVP voting in 2023 in his first full season as a starter.But the 49ers went 6-11 in 2024. And Purdy missed eight games last year with turf toe. Purdy has thrown 40 touchdowns and 22 interceptions the past two seasons after tossing 44 touchdowns and 15 picks in his first two years.Purdy spoke last month about reaching another level in Shanahan’s offense before tossing three touchdowns and posting a 105.6 passer rating in a season-opening 27-7 win over the Rams.Up next:The Dolphins at Levi’s. That should provide good memories for Purdy and his remaining teammates from 2022. Kittle recalled a moment that helped him realize the untested rookie might be really, really good: Purdy didn’t flinch while delivering a 19-yard strike to Kittle while being smacked against an all-out blitz.”It hit me right in the sternum,” Kittle said. “I was like, ‘All right, yeah, I could play with this. This is awesome.’ And then I saw the replay and I was like, ‘Oh, s—, good job, Brock.'”Second season breakthroughs?Week 1 injuries mean the 49ers might need more production than they expected from wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and tight end Luke Farrell. Can the 2025 free-agent signings deliver after lackluster debut seasons?
San Francisco 49ers tight end Luke Farrell runs against Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Tony Jefferson during a preseason game, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, in Inglewood. (Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press)
With rookie De’Zhaun Stribling