While San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Nick Zakelj will not participate in the Super Bowl due to injury, he temporarily gained attention on Monday owing to his roommate.
That is 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Zakelj and Purdy have been dividing rent in the Bay Area since last season, which was first reported in the fall after Purdy appeared on the “Today” show.
“It was funny at first,” Zakelj told the media on Monday at the Super Bowl Opening Night, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.
However, Zakelj stated that the national focus “got a little annoying at the end”. Zakelj’s time as Purdy’s roommate will most likely end next month in March, as Purdy has a wedding planned with his fiancée, Jenna Brandt.
Purdy and Zakelj both joined the 49ers in 2022 via the draft and met through a common friend, college teammate, and roommate of Purdy’s, Mike Rose. Zakelj knew the former Iowa State linebacker from his childhood in Ohio.
San Francisco selected Zakelj from Fordham in the sixth round of the draft, one round before Purdy, who received the last pick. Zakelj has appeared in nine career games, recording 12 offensive snaps and 39 special teams snaps.
Purdy began the 2022 season as the 49ers’ third quarterback, but injuries changed that. Purdy was thrown into a starting spot in December 2022, and he has excelled ever since.
“It’s surreal to see all the exposure he’s gotten,” he stated. “I just think you have to take things one day at a time and appreciate them. He’s handling it quite well.”
The 49ers center describes Brock Purdy in the huddle.
While Zakelj knows Purdy in a unique way on the field, 49ers center Jake Brendel knows Purdy because he snaps the ball to him.
“He’s very direct and concise,” Brendel told Sports Illustrated’s “All 49ers” reporter Grant Cohn on Tuesday. “That’s what you want from a quarterback in a game situation. You saw that on that one play when he paused the motion and made sure everyone was in place before we snapped the clock because we were running out of time on the play clock.”
“That’s how well he understands the offense. A lot of clubs will simply accept a delay of game penalty,” Brendel continued. “That was an important aspect of the game for us, and it turned out to be a pivotal play. That’s the type of thing he brings to Sundays that other players don’t.”
Brendel started all 17 regular-season games for the 49ers in 2022 and 2023, taking 96% or more of the snaps. The former UCLA standout started his career with the Miami Dolphins before signing with the 49ers as a free agency in 2020.
Brock Purdy: ‘They’ve Believed in Me Since I’ve Stepped In
Brendel told Cohn how Purdy took over the offense last season, but Purdy praises his teammates with buying in.
“They’ve believed in me since I stepped in last year,” Purdy told the Associated Press. “Throughout the year I feel like I’ve grown and we’ve all grown together, so definitely blessed to have these guys in the locker room with me and they’ve definitely had my back through the good and the bad.”
