Three 49ers Whose Stock Increased in the Win Against the Cardinals

No other players increased their stock more on the 49ers in the win against the Cardinals than these three.

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) hands off the ball in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The San Francisco 49ers notched a fairly impressive, and expected, win against the Arizona Cardinals.

It was a nice rebound after getting throttled last week. Plenty of players played well in this game, with three 49ers increasing their stock more than others.

Brock Purdy

Nov 16, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) runs off the field after defeating the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The 2023 version of Brock Purdy showed up against the Cardinals. It was insane to see, considering he has missed the last six games due to a turf toe injury.

Rust was expected out of him, but he showed zero signs of it. Now, he did have a few boneheaded plays, but he was fine. He played a key role in the 49ers' winning this game.

The 49ers' offense didn't have a single dropoff with him back. In fact, they scored the most points of the season. Of course, special teams and defensive favors played a huge role.

And Purdy did perform against a very average defense. Still, the amount of time he was off for along with not being fully healthy, makes his performance an encouraging one.

Christian McCaffrey

San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey (23) stiff arms past Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Dante Stills (55)at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Nov. 16, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Christian McCaffrey performed incredibly well as a running back against the Cardinals. This comes after he looked mediocre against the Los Angeles Rams a week ago. McCaffrey averaged 2.5 yards per carry.

He was outpaced by his backup, Brian Robinson Jr., by almost three yards per carry. Well, McCaffrey looked revitalized against Arizona. He averaged 6.2 yards per carry, a season-high for him.

That's largely due to the fact that he ran most of the time between the tackles. McCaffrey thrives there. But again, you can say it was against the Cardinals, who are no better than average.

However, that doesn't take away how sweet he looked. This can be a stepping stone for him to continue to keep it going and be an effective running back again.

Nick Martin

Oct 19, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Nick Martin (45) before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

For the first time this season, rookie linebacker Nick Martin saw defensive snaps. Now, he didn't have any spectacular plays. That isn't why his stock is rising.

It's the fact that he finally received playing time. That means Kyle Shanahan and Robert Saleh are starting to trust him enough to be out there.

It's also difficult to play him since his role is covered up by Dee Winters. But it seems the 49ers were able to fit him along with Winters and Tatum Bethune in base defense. Let's see if his snaps increase moving forward.

Follow Jose on X (Twitter) @JS3sanchez_to interact with him on the 49ers.

---