Purdy responds to Kittle's ‘Brock's job to lose' comment

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Brock Purdy has one thing on his mind, and it's not the 49ers' starting quarterback battle he and Trey Lance will compete in this summer. 

After the rookie suffered a torn UCL in San Francisco's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, Purdy will undergo surgery on Feb. 22 to repair the ligament, which likely will sideline him for six months

Although Purdy will be sidelined for the offseason and potentially for the start of training camp, 49ers tight end George Kittle told eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller on "The Von Cast" on Thursday from Super Bowl LVII Radio Row in Phoenix, that he believes San Francisco's starting quarterback job is Purdy's to lose.

Purdy joined NFL Network's "Super Bowl Live" on Friday, where he was asked about Kittle's comments and clarified that he is only focusing on his rehab.

"Yeah someone shot it to me and my family. I love George and I love his mindset and everything," Purdy said. "For me, I'm going to focus on my rehab first, get my arm right, go from there. Trey's obviously getting healthy too.

"We both want to win, we both want to bring a Super Bowl back to San Francisco. We're going to do whatever it takes."

Purdy's ascension from Mr. Irrelevant to NFL star earned him the respect of many around the league and especially in the 49ers' locker room.

Although the 49ers traded three first-round picks to select Lance with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, many believe that Purdy has proved worthy of becoming the starting quarterback in 2023. 

In speaking with FOX Sports Radio's Doug Gottlieb on Friday at Radio Row, Purdy was asked if he has received any assurances from coach Kyle Shanahan or general manager John Lynch as to whether he will retain the starting role upon his return. 

"We had some conversations, but the biggest thing for them is, 'Man, you got to get healthy and see where we go from there,' " Purdy explained. "If I'm delayed coming back or whatever, obviously they have to do what's best for the team and have someone like Trey or someone ready.

"But we haven't had any other serious conversations about it, it's going to come down to what happens and what it looks like post-surgery."

RELATED: Pelissero points out key Purdy trait that NFL scouts overlooked

To nobody's surprise, it appears that the 49ers are open to yet another quarterback competition in training camp.

If Purdy can prove he is healthy, it sounds like he might have the support from some of the leaders in the 49ers' locker room. 

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