San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy went from making relative peanuts to earning $53 million per year on his massive new contract. The deal puts pressure on the quarterback to live up to the expectations of the payday.
Star tight end George Kittle isn't worried about his quarterback wilting under pressure.
"We all still have something to prove every single day," Kittle said Tuesday on FanDuel TV’s Up & Adams Show. "So, for the people that like saying that, you know, 'He's got something to prove,' good for them. I think Brock is just gonna continue to elevate his game and continue to play at a high level. That's all we really care about. I want to be around guys that strive to be better every single day. I don't like being around people who are content because complacency is not a good thing in a locker room. So, if our players are continually practicing their asses off, continually getting better every single day, and they have the desire to get better every day, I'm in a great room, I'm in a great building. So, I'm just happy to be around guys that are like that, and Brock is definitely one of those guys."
Since taking over midway through the 2022 season, the former Mr. Irrelevant has shined in Kyle Shanahan's offense. In 2023, he made the Pro Bowl and led the Niners to the Super Bowl. Purdy's stats fell off in 2024, as the entire club dealt with injury, but he continued to show he can make the right throws in the structure of Shanahan's scheme.
After a mid-career lull while dealing with injuries, Kittle has gotten back over the 1,000-yard plateau each of the two seasons that Purdy has been the full-time starter in San Francisco.
The six-time Pro Bowl tight end brushed aside questions about whether or not Purdy can ever live up to his big contract, citing the locker room culture and the QB's mental capacity.
"Our team has done such a good job of building our culture of get into the building, grind, work really, really hard, attack every single day and the outside noise will take care of itself," Kittle said. "People like to talk about stuff. I think playing quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers is one of the biggest spotlights in sports because of the guys that played before us. I think that's just what comes with the job. It is what it is. I'm not too worried about Brock.
"He was in Nashville with me a bunch this year. We got to run a bunch of routes together, work out together, and that is one determined person. His work ethic has been awesome. Just looking forward to getting back in the building with him next week."
The Niners veterans report for training camp next Tuesday, July 22, as they attempt to bounce back from a 6-11 season.
