One more game. That's it.
And the end cannot come soon enough for the 49ers and their frustrated fanbase.
This has been a 2024 NFL season in which seemingly everything that could go wrong has gone wrong.
The 49ers’ 40-34 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday night sent them to their sixth loss in the past seven games.
They finish the regular season on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, and what is happening now could end up shaping the direction of the franchise for the 2025 season.
That’s where we open this edition of 49ers overreactions:
Seeing Pearsall ball out after getting enough reps with Purdy gives me hope for the future! — @ammattheankh.bsky.social
San Francisco 49ers
Overreaction? No.
Quarterback Brock Purdy avoided a significant injury on Monday night. He left the game late in the fourth quarter with a right elbow contusion and nerve inflammation.
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The best thing that was accomplished before he exited was creating some nice chemistry with rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall.
Purdy targeted Pearsall 10 times, and the pair teamed up for eight receptions for 141 yards and one touchdown.
It was Pearsall’s breakout game after he had just 17 catches for 190 yards in his first nine games. Purdy said he feels Pearsall was building for that moment.
“After games, he'll text me and just talk about routes and stuff,” Purdy said of Pearsall. “He’s hungry, which I love.
“He'll text me and just be like, ‘I want the best for you and for us moving forward.’ So Ricky's on the same page as us, and as a quarterback that's all you could ask for.”
Pearsall, the 49ers’ first-round draft pick, gets a pass for his up-and-down rookie season. After all, he was the victim of a shooting incident just before the start of the regular season and sat out the first six games.
On Monday, we could have witnessed a chemistry and connection between Purdy and Pearsall that will pay off in the long run for the 49ers.
The Niners shouldn’t pay Purdy top dollar next year. He’s just Garoppolo 2.0. — @rickyer.bsky.social
Overreaction? Yes.
In 36 regular-season starts, Purdy has completed 67.5 percent of his pass attempts while throwing 64 touchdowns and 27 interceptions. His passer rating is 104.9.
Purdy has been the starting quarterback for four NFL playoff victories, including three games in which the team rallied in the fourth quarter.
The 49ers’ options are to reward Purdy with a lucrative, long-term contract or not have him on their team next season. There is no way they would force him to play out the final year of his rookie contract.
This is not even a conversation to be had.
Purdy will be the 49ers’ starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. Otherwise, the 49ers will find themselves in the same position as a lot of other teams in the NFL: In desperate need of a reliable quarterback.
On the topic of Jimmy Garoppolo, just remember that the 49ers made him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL (for a brief period of time) after he had played only five games with the team in 2017.
We need a total rebuild. New coach, new GM, new QB. You cannot pay a QB with a dodgy throwing arm. — @sageofthevale.bsky.social
Overreaction? Yes.
There are a lot of questions about what’s going to happen with the 49ers this season.
But there are three elements of the team everyone can be certain will be back.
Those three are ... coach Kyle Shanahan, general manager John Lynch and, of course, Purdy.
Nearly everyone else is up for discussion, though.
Josh Dobbs should be QB2 next year — @dbheise.bsky.social
Overreaction? No.
Dobbs has earned a little more trust from Shanahan as he has become more familiar with the offensive system.
Both Dobbs and Brandon Allen, who was the backup for most of the season, signed one-year contracts in the offseason.
Dobbs was not pleased to be listed as No. 3 on the depth chart when the season began. It remains to be seen if he would want to be back with the 49ers on another one-year deal.
The regular-season finale against the Arizona Cardinals is a showcase for him to prove his worth to the 49ers and the rest of the NFL for a potential backup role.
