Super Bowl LVIII will be played at Allegiant Stadium on February 11th, and in the days leading up to the game, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who has been named an NFL Pro Bowl, has been the target of several complaints, including the "game-manager" label.
Most recently, someone has stepped into the arena to address the commotion? Joe Montana, a legendary quarterback and Hall of Famer with the San Francisco 49ers. The four-time Vince Lombardi Trophy winner provided an interesting breakdown of Purdy's responsibilities with the 49ers on Friday's edition of the "Pat McAfee Show" on ESPN.
“What I see [with Purdy] is something that I figured out early on in my career—what the offense is about," Montana told McAfee. Nothing had to do with me. The point was to pass the ball to others with the necessary skills, such as runners and catchers, because I'm only a mailman and the football doesn't really belong to me.
"Just get the ball to players like Jerry Rice, John Taylor, Brent Jones, and Roger Craig—we had them, particularly towards the end of my career. Examining the tools at Brock's disposal reveals that he has perfected that offensive strategy. He is cognizant of his role. He refrains from attempting a bold move. Punting is usually acceptable, and he is quite good at anticipating when his opportunity will present itself. Our arguments were very similar; I had a solid defense as well.
With his duty clarified, Purdy remains composed in the pocket. In addition to his charisma, he isn't going to try to knock you out with a football. Great, catchable ball, that's what he offers. Coach Kyle Shanahan's dominating, star-studded offense is something that Montana says Purdy has a good grasp on.
Just as Purdy passed to talents like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle, the 67-year-old even sees similarities in the young Iowa State product. Montana, like Purdy, was surrounded by talented people like Rice and Taylor. Nevertheless, Montana provided a thought-provoking analysis of the 49ers offense's overall performance by outlining the significance of Purdy at quarterback.
People haven't seen [Purdy] do that yet because he hasn't had the chance to work with other receivers, and I don't think that's a negative on him," Montana added. The 49ers picked him with the last choice in the 2022 NFL Draft for a reason, and it had to do with what they observed on film.
"It will make no difference who is out there, in my opinion. Currently, [Purdy] is in a fortunate position because he has some excellent studs on his team who can provide him with the ball and keep it close. This is perfectly acceptable. Having them is something that everyone goes through. Therefore, I give that absolutely no consideration. For him, it's a bonus.
As the 49ers' all-time leader in passing yards (35,124), touchdowns (244) and completions (2,929), Montana would be the perfect person to lead San Francisco to greatness if he were to return as quarterback. In his first two seasons with the 49ers, Purdy threw for 5,654 yards and 44 touchdowns, but he still has a lot of work to get to number sixteen all-time in San Francisco.
STAY TURNED FOR DEVELOPMENT