Head coach Kyle Shanahan has his San Francisco 49ers back in the Super Bowl after falling short in the last two seasons in the NFC Championship Game. The team's most recent bid for the Vince Lombardi Trophy came during the 2019 season, narrowly missing out against the Kansas City Chiefs.
On February 11, Shanahan and the 49ers aim to rectify that heartbreaking defeat in a Super Bowl rematch against the Chiefs. What sets the coach apart this time?
"Well, they found Brock Purdy. I mean, he trusts his quarterback," NFL analyst Brian Baldinger said Tuesday on Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game. "I think that's the difference, and it's not a knock on anybody else, Jimmy [Garoppolo], anybody else that's been here. He trusts his quarterback, and that's what it comes down to.
"And so, you can be aggressive up three points, and go try to put a nail in the coffin right there, and take some shots, and trust that if he doesn't make the play that's called, he's going to make his own play and create a play like he did a couple of times."
Baldinger highlighted that Shanahan is demanding of his quarterbacks. While some coaches aim to boost their quarterback's confidence, the 49ers' coach expects his players to execute his system flawlessly.
This expectation can be daunting for a 24-year-old player in only his second NFL season. Purdy wasn't a top draft pick, either. The 49ers selected him with the last overall pick in 2022. Still, none of that has mattered. Purdy has demonstrated the poise and leadership of a seasoned veteran on the football field, quickly mastering Shanahan's scheme despite the high demands.
"I feel like Kyle can be hard on him on Wednesday of practice," Baldinger continued. "He could be hard on him in the locker room. He could be hard on him on the sideline. He's demanding. Some guys you could do that with because they know exactly what you want. They know that it's inside of you, and this is what we need. And I just feel like that toughness that Kyle likes to coach with, he can do that with Brock."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Baldinger below.
