If Purdy wants to be the highest-paid player on the team and possibly the entire league, he needs to take ownership of his team in OTAs.

It seems like ancient history now, but last year Brock Purdy didn’t participate in OTAs. He was recovering from elbow surgery, and there was concern about whether he’d be ready for the start of the season.

Then when training camp started, he was on a pitch count. Some days, he wouldn’t throw at all. And when he did throw, he was erratic. Threw lots and lots of interceptions in practice — both against his own team and against the Raiders when he faced them in two joint practices. Clearly, he was rusty, because he went on to statistically have one of the best seasons by a quarterback in NFL history.

He’s not coming off a major surgery to his throwing arm — in fact, he’s coming off an MVP-caliber season and a Super Bowl appearance. And he’s entering a contract year, in the sense that he’ll be eligible for a contract extension next year. So he’s under more pressure than ever to perform. And that pressure starts in practice.

If Purdy wants to be the highest-paid player on the team and possibly the entire league, he needs to take ownership of his team in OTAs. Needs to show everyone that he’s the best player on the field every day, just as Brandon Aiyuk, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and George Kittle have proven on the practice field in the past.

I fully expect Purdy to have an oustanding offseason, because he’s one hell of a quarterback.