LAS VEGAS — If you want to know whether Brock Purdy takes his work home with him, if he brings the highs of a superlative performance or the lows of a loss back to the house, there is only one person who can provide that answer.
His housemate.
“I wouldn’t say so,’’ Nick Zakelj, a 49ers offensive lineman, told The Post. “Obviously we talk ball here and there when we’re at home. It’s a really good spot, we get home, kind of decompress, get away from it all. If one of us has a question I think we’re both pretty knowledgeable of the offense. Him probably more than me.’’
Purdy and Zakelj have lived together since they were both selected late — very late for Purdy — in the 2022 draft.
Zakelj, from Cleveland, played at Fordham and was a sixth-round pick — 187th overall.
Purdy had to wait even longer.
He nearly was not part of that draft, and he finally heard his name in the seventh round, with the very last pick, No. 262.
As rookies suddenly making a living in one of the priciest areas in the country, Purdy and Zakelj decided it made sense to save some money and split a house.
They had a mutual friend — a former teammate of Purdy’s at Iowa State — to serve as the go-between and that sealed the deal.
“We were able to spend a lot of time together and just being two young guys in a new area, living together is something we thought would be the smart move and it kind of just stuck,’’ Zakelj said.
The two, both 24, found a place about 20 minutes from the Niners practice facility in Santa Clara.
Zakelj described the house as “good-sized’’ and called Purdy as a housemate “clean, punctual, the best, all you can ask for.’’
Neither cooks much, but Purdy is a bit more accomplished in the kitchen.
Neither was supposed to play much early in their NFL careers but things changed.
Injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo allowed Purdy to start five games as a rookie and he went 5-0.
He won himself a job.
Suddenly, someone known as Mr. Irrelevant as the final pick in the draft was a bona fide NFL quarterback living with a seldom-used offensive lineman.
Zakelj in two years has seen action in nine games and is on injured reserve, meaning he will not suit up on Sunday when the 49ers face the Chiefs in Super Bowl 2024.
“No, but it comes as no surprise,’’ Zakelj said, when asked if could have envisioned Purdy’s rapid ascension. “You see the hard work that someone puts in on a day-to-day basis and you are able to acknowledge the success that comes from it and where it comes from, his motivations, what really pushes him to be the best he can be.”
“He hasn’t changed. Same guy, he’s been the same from the beginning. Humble. It’s something that’s really great.’’
Purdy injured his right elbow in last year’s NFC Championship and the 49ers were routed by the Eagles.
Purdy led the league in 2023 with a passer rating of 113.0 and the Niners are still playing.
“I don’t think anything really shakes him,’’ Zakelj said. “He’s such a process-driven guy, he’s going to go out and do his business, prepare for the game, go out there and execute.’’
As a rookie, Zakelj signed a four-year contract worth $3.85 million.
Purdy, selected 75 spots later, checked in with a four-year deal worth $3.73 million.
This financial order will be flipped in Purdy’s favor sooner rather than later.
“It’s very funny to think about that,’’ Zakelj said.
If Purdy leads his team to a victory and wins the Super Bowl MVP, will he opt to find his own place?
“An eviction notice is coming,’’ Zakelj said, laughing.
Fame and fortune is one impediment to a long-term housing commitment. Love is another. Purdy is planning a wedding with his college sweetheart, Jenna Brandt and, as everyone knows, three’s a crowd.
