How 49ers QB Brock Purdy has grown from first NFL start vs. Buccaneers NBC Bay Area [Video]

SANTA CLARA — A lot has changed since that late-season game in 2022, when 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy made his first NFL start.

One thing on Sunday that likely will be similar for Purdy and the 49ers is the return of one of the team’s top playmakers. Running back Christian McCaffrey is expected to take the field for the first time of the 2024 NFL season.

The 49ers opened the practice window this week for McCaffrey, who missed the first eight games of the season due to bilateral Achilles tendinitis. He is likely to get activated and see significant action Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“They have to account for him, for sure, and that opens up other guys in the passing game,” Purdy said on Thursday. “More than anything, we have really good playmakers across the board, and we’re going to try to get the ball into all of our guys’ hands at the right time and in the right …