San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had a solid season in 2025 despite his injuries, but one issue in his game became glaringly noticeable: interceptions.
The fourth-year quarterback threw 10 in just nine games after throwing just 27 in his previous 40 games. His 3.5% interception rate also ranked fourth-worst among qualified quarterbacks this past season, with only J.J. McCarthy, Tua Tagovailoa and Geno Smith playing worse.
That’s not great company to keep for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.
Why was Purdy’s interception rate so high? Partially because he was throwing passes he shouldn’t have been throwing. According to BTB Analytics, Purdy and Tagovailoa were ranked among quarterbacks in 2025 with both a high interception-worthy throw rate and a high actual interception rate. Again, not great company.
Purdy’s interception issues didn’t derail the 49ers’ season, though. San Francisco went 2-1 in the three games Purdy threw multiple picks — including a 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers after he tossed three devastating interceptions — and 4-2 overall in games with Purdy turnovers.
Part of that is thanks to the games he didn’t play. Mac Jones, who filled in for eight games and went 5-3 while Purdy recovered from injuries, was on the other side of the chart. Jones had just a 2.1% interception rate and, per BTB, had a league-average interception-worthy throw rate despite finishing with six interceptions on 289 attempts.
Purdy played sloppy in 2025, but now he’ll have a healthier and better offensive cast around him than he did a year ago. Receiver Mike Evans is the biggest addition, as well as fellow pass-catchers Christian Kirk, rookie De’Zhaun Stribling, 2024 first-rounder Ricky Pearsall. Whether that group, alongside Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, can bail Purdy out of contested throws — or whether he tightens up his decision-making with better options on the field — will determine if 2025 was a blip tied to injury or the start of a real trend.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: New data reveals a troubling trend with Brock Purdy
Reporting by Oliver G., Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Oliver G., Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
