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SANTA CLARA – Coach Kyle Shanahan told 49ers general manager John Lynch something privately that he hoped would stick around for a while.
It was early in training camp ahead of the 2022 NFL season, and the 49ers were hoping to enter the campaign with Trey Lance as the starting quarterback and veteran Nate Sudfeld as the backup.
But then Shanahan saw enough in Brock Purdy, the final pick in that year’s draft, to make him reconsider the arrangement on the team’s depth chart.
Shanahan believed Purdy was on his way to becoming the best quarterback on the 49ers roster.
CEO Jed York told the story Thursday about when Shanahan surprised him with his opinion that the little-known Purdy would end up as the 49ers’ best quarterback.
“I was there when he said that to Jed,” Lynch said Friday. “My jaw hit the floor.
“He told me that, but. . . “Kyle often checks me on things to see if they are crazy.”
The coach’s quick upgrade to the front office came at a time when veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was undergoing physical therapy following offseason shoulder surgery. The 49ers had intended to trade Garoppolo before the start of the regular season.
Purdy beat out Sudfeld for a roster spot and the 49ers retained Garoppolo on a greatly reduced contract. Garoppolo opened the season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The most expected thing is that Purdy would have the opportunity to remain with the 49ers on the practice squad. But based on Shanahan’s early observations, there was no chance the 49ers would risk allowing Purdy to escape.
“Kyle and I had been talking,” Lynch said. “We liked Brock from the beginning. But we had seen it in a very limited way. So I think we had a feeling that we had a chance to have something special, and Kyle is just as forthright a person. He is very easy to work with because there are no gray areas.”
Purdy got his chance after injuries to Lance and Garoppolo. And Purdy’s performance after entering the lineup was more than enough to earn the starting job permanently.
Less than two years later, Purdy is firmly established as the 49ers’ starter and leads the organization to Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs on February 11 in Las Vegas.
Purdy was named an NFC Pro Bowl starter and a finalist for NFL Most Valuable Player honors after leading the league with a 113.0 passer rating.
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