The Facts: The 49ers would be happy to get the Purdy of 2022 back in the lineup this year, but GM John Lynch thinks they may be getting something different. It’s a change that Lynch and the rest of the team would welcome with open arms. In an interview for the team’s YouTube channel, Lynch reviewed what Purdy’s done since the start of training camp and said that there were no signs that his elbow injury had sapped him of any of his ability. Lynch went on to say that there have been glimpses that Purdy has improved since he was last on the field. “He looks like the guy we saw last year,” Lynch said, via 49ersWebzone.com. “And I think year two is always a really interesting year for a player because there should be a great jump, and Brock was pretty darn good from the start. But we’re seeing signs of an even better player.”

Diehards Line: Even though he was recovering from surgery while it unfolded, Purdy had his first full offseason in the organization and an extended period to work on the mental aspects of the game before he was cleared. According to Lynch, that’s paid off in growth from a player who was not expected to be in this position at this time last year. HC Kyle Shanahan agreed, telling reporters: “I don’t think anyone’s back to where they were, exactly, last season. We’re going through training camp, a lot of guys had more practices than him,” Shanahan said. “He’ll get there. He’s doing some good things. We’re not worried about Brock. Brock’s the real deal, he knows how to play and we just have to have our team keep getting better and we’ll keep getting better as we go.”