George Kittle applauds Brock Purdy’s leadership and growth as 49ers QB – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It was a 49ers reunion at the fourth annual Tight End University — a camp co-hosted by All-Pro George Kittle and Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce — and a common theme At the event was the positive State of Brock Purdy as the leader of the San Francisco offense.

Kittle hasn’t been on the field with Purdy since he underwent core muscle surgery in the offseason, but he has noticed the quarterback’s command of players on the field.

“He looks like the guy, which is really nice,” Kittle told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s in the building every day and it’s the same guy every day, it’s consistent. He is incredibly competitive. It’s funny to see him yell at guys when they don’t hit the depth of their route or don’t have the correct cue.

Former 49ers tight ends Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley joined Kittle at the two-day event, and although they are now both part of the Atlanta Falcons organization, they noticed how Purdy was able to taking control of coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense in his debut. season.

“I’m very proud of Brock,” Woerner said. “He handled everything like a pro, coming in third. Where he started and how he showed up every day, just continuing to be a pro and ready to seize his opportunity. And when he got it, everyone knows he took advantage of it and crushed it.

Dwelley, who was with Woerner during Purdy’s first offseason as a rookie, noticed early on that the quarterback’s intensity was on another level, even with his limited reps as a rookie.

“He really came in and he just felt like he didn’t really care about anything that was going on,” Dwelley said. “He was really on his own and focused on learning the playbook as best he could, as fast as he could, and doing the best he could with every opportunity he was given during this training camp .

“I don’t know if Kyle is officially mentioned, but he knew he had something special in Brock after the OTAs his freshman year and halfway through training camp. He just had an opportunity when some guys got injured, and now he is who he is. It’s a pretty cool thing to see, and he deserves all of this.

Kittle, who is set to return to the field during training camp next month, is looking forward to being back in the 49ers’ lineup with Purdy and believes the offense can only improve with the third-year pro at the helm.

“He takes control of the offense and makes it his own,” Kittle said. “It’s Kyle’s, and Kyle gives the orders, but Brock gets the guys to do what he wants them to do, which is really fun to see.”

Kittle recorded his third career 1,000-yard season and received his fifth Pro Bowl nomination and second All-Pro recognition in 2023, all with Purdy under center.

Woerner, who won’t see his former quarterback’s progress in person, remains excited about what’s to come.

“I’m very proud of him and the way he handled himself off the field, and I’m really happy for him,” Woerner said.

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