Purdy explains saddest part of 49ers' season-ending defeat

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NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco breaks down his takeaways from the 49ers’ 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.

PHILADELPHIA — Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy was hurting on Sunday.

He felt it physically, of course, but the 49ers’ 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles also took an emotional toll.

And his thoughts were with his veteran teammates. Many of the team’s veteran players have advanced to the NFC Championship Game in three of the past four seasons but have yet to win a Super Bowl.

“It just hurts,” Purdy said after a game in which he sustained an injury to his right elbow that made the act of throwing a football nearly impossible.

“I am so sad for the older guys like Fred (Warner), Trent (Williams), George (Kittle), Arik Armstead -- everyone. All the guys that have been through this.”

The 49ers were making a bid to return to the Super Bowl after advancing to the big game during the 2019 season. The 49ers held a 10-point fourth-quarter lead against the Kansas City Chiefs, who reeled off 21 unanswered points to win the game.

Purdy was the big story in the NFL over the second half of the season, including the first two weeks of the playoffs. The 49ers were 8-0 with him at quarterback after he took over for Jimmy Garoppolo in the first quarter of the team’s Week 13 game against the Miami Dolphins.

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Purdy sustained the injury to his throwing arm when Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick beat 49ers tight end Tyler Kroft and hit Purdy’s arm as he was throwing. Purdy was trying to get the ball deep to receiver Brandon Aiyuk and felt the pass could have resulted in a big play.

“It was a play-action pass,” Purdy said. “I was literally ripping it to B.A. He was coming open, and I thought it was going to be a big play. He just came from my blind side at the time, from my right side, and the ball came out.”

Purdy is scheduled for an MRI examination on Monday that will reveal the extent of the damage. He described the pain as “shocks all over from my elbow down to my wrist, front and back.”

The injury, in effect, ended any chance the 49ers had of winning the game.

Veteran quarterback Josh Johnson, who later exited the game due to a concussion, could not offer anything close to the poise, composure and passing skills that distinguished Purdy during his time as the team’s quarterback.

RELATED: Matt Maiocco: 49ers can't overcome 'significant' injury to Brock Purdy

Purdy, 23, felt for his veteran teammates. He understands the difficulty associated with a trip this deep in the postseason and realizes it is no small feat to advance to the NFL’s final four.

“I am just frustrated, but sadder for those guys more than anything because they deserve to go and to win the whole thing.” Purdy said. “When that happened, I am just frustrated with that and sad for them.”

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