Brock Purdy Camp Update — August 16: Twenty-One of Twenty-Seven Against Tennessee, and Shanahan Noticed

Brock Purdy went 21 of 27 with three touchdowns and no interceptions in Tuesday's joint practice against the Titans, by David Bonilla's count at 49ers Webzone — including a throw threaded between three defenders to rookie De'Zhaun Stribling and a layered ball dropped over a linebacker to Jake Tonges. Kyle Shanahan's review, per Bonilla: "I didn't notice as many bad plays today, so I think he had a hell of a day." Two nights later Purdy watched the preseason opener from the sideline with Mac Jones, per NBC Sports Bay Area, while the Titans beat the backups 19 to 13.

The June preview's argument was that last season measured his availability, not his ability. In nine healthy games he was among the most accurate passers in football — second in the league in completion percentage over expected — with 20 touchdowns against 10 picks, and every healthy season of his career has looked like that. The whole question was the body, and behind it, a supporting cast that had already changed twice.

The week answered the first question the right way. A healthy Purdy carving up a playoff-caliber defense in a live joint session — a chippy one, with multiple brawls and two ejections per side under the punch rule, per David Lombardi of the SF Standard — is exactly the player the June file describes. Sitting the exhibition alongside Jones was management, not concern. The second question got heavier, though: Ricky Pearsall's season is over after posterior cruciate ligament surgery, Christian Kirk hasn't practiced since straining a calf on July 26, George Kittle still isn't in team drills in accessed coverage, and Christian McCaffrey missed the week with tightness. The team signed Deebo Samuel to a one-year deal to restock the room, per NFL.com. Purdy's best throws this week went to a rookie and a backup tight end partly because they had to.

Does the June read hold? CONFIRMED — the accuracy and the health, the two things the June case rested on, both showed up in the most competitive setting August offers; the thin-cast caveat we attached is the part getting worse. Next week: the joint practice with the Chargers on Tuesday and whether Purdy plays Thursday in Los Angeles, plus any Kittle or McCaffrey return that would restore his top targets. We'll check next Sunday.

_Data via nflverse._