49ers' Kyle Shanahan Not Considering QB Change Despite Brock Purdy's Recent Struggles

Brock Purdy has undeniably hit a rough patch in the 2023 season, a contributing factor to the San Francisco 49ers surprising three-game losing streak.

But head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Monday he hasn't considered benching Purdy.

"Because no one just changes their quarterback for no reason," he said when asked why he wasn't open to a change.

Still, it's hard to ignore the difference between the Purdy that opened the season for the Niners and the one who has struggled of late. In the team's five wins, Purdy threw for 1,271 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions, taking eight sacks while completing 72.1 percent of his passes.

In the team's three-game losing streak, however, he's thrown for 762 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions, taking six sacks and completing just 62.5 percent of his throws.

The defense was poor against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, giving up 31 points, and the week prior defensive coordinator Steve Wilks came under fire for an ill-advised blitz call late in the first half that resulted in a long Jordan Addison touchdown reception, a crucial play in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

But the offense has been worse, with three straight games of just 17 points.

"This isn't on any one coach or any one side of the ball," Shanahan told reporters Sunday. "We haven't scored over 20 points here in three weeks too. I think our defense needs to be better, our offense needs to do better, our team needs to do better."

In Purdy's brief time as San Francisco's starting quarterback over the past two seasons, a central question has circled around him: Is he in fact a good quarterback, or does Shanahan's scheme and the team's playmakers make him look better than he actually is?

The answer remains in debate:

The Niners now head into a bye week, hoping to get their season back on track. Purdy remains the starter, but it remains to be seen how much of a leash he'll be given if he continues to struggle, especially after backup Sam Darnold's impressive training camp.