Kyle Shanahan’s résumé with the 49ers keeps growing, and so does the shadow he throws over Brock Purdy.
San Francisco is entering year 10 of the Shanahan era with two Super Bowl appearances on the ledger, and the coach’s reputation as one of the NFL’s sharpest offensive minds has only hardened over time. That success has helped shape Purdy’s rise, but it may also be the biggest obstacle standing between the quarterback and wider league respect.
Former NFL scout turned podcaster John Middlekauff laid it out plainly on Colin Cowherd’s podcast.
"Kyle Shanahan is the most important guy in the organization. He is the equivalent of, like, an NBA star... If you have Nikola Jokić, your floor is still pretty high, or LeBron James in his prime, or Steph Curry," Middlekauff said.
Middlekauff also pointed to San Francisco’s playoff win in Philadelphia last year, noting that the 49ers pulled it off without George Kittle, Fred Warner, and Nick Bosa. In his view, Shanahan deserved the credit, not Purdy.
That lines up with how much of the league seems to view the former Iowa quarterback. Shanahan keeps landing near the top of coaching rankings, while Purdy still doesn’t get the same treatment at his own position. The “system quarterback” label has followed him, just as it has followed plenty of 49ers passers before him.
Shanahan’s track record is a big reason why. Jimmy Garoppolo, Sam Darnold, and Mac Jones have all found success in his offense, with Darnold reviving his career in San Francisco and Jones appearing to be on that path as well. That kind of history only feeds the idea that Shanahan can make almost any quarterback look better.
So the question hanging over Purdy remains the same: is he really that good, or is Shanahan simply that good at making quarterbacks look that way?
Maybe that debate won’t be settled until the two go their separate ways. For now, they’re still together, and they’re moving toward another season with Purdy trying to carve out his own standing while Shanahan remains the dominant force in the building. Until that changes, Purdy’s climb to elite status will keep running through Shanahan’s name.
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The placement keeps Purdy in the same broad discussion that has followed him since his rise in San Francisco: good enough to command real respect, not yet in the top tier occupied by the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. For a 49ers team built to contend, the label matters less as a listicle than as a reminder of how sharply opinion still splits on where Purdy fits among the leagues best. [Read more 🡒]
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The addition is meant to steady a group that cannot afford to be thin for long, especially with the season creeping closer and the rotation still taking shape. Over an eight-year NFL career, the newcomer has piled up 17 sacks and 132 tackles, the kind of resume that suggests he can help if the 49ers need him to be more than just an emergency option. [Read more 🡒]