LAS VEGAS — In coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Brock Purdy, the 49ers believe they have the necessary tandem to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl title in 29 years.
The 49ers are set to face the Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 at 6:30 p.m. Sunday in Allegiant Stadium.
Purdy was the last player taken in the 2022 NFL draft. That was a year after the 49ers traded a bushel of draft picks to move up in front of the Falcons at No. 3 so they could draft North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. The Falcons took tight end Kyle Pitts with the fourth pick.
Purdy, who played at Iowa State, was pressed into duty when Jimmy Garoppolo and Lance were hurt.
“Brock is as humble of a person as I’ve ever been around,” Shanahan said.
Purdy nearly carried the 49ers to the Super Bowl. He sustained an elbow injury that derailed their title hopes in the NFC Championship game for the 2022 season.
“It wasn’t really about developing Brock,” Shanahan said. “Brock was a really good player when he got here. He got thrown into a position, and he competed with other guys. Then he got his opportunity because (of injuries). When he came in, he played at a high level right away.”
Purdy returned from the elbow injury and played at an even higher level this season, leading the league in passer rating (113.0) and yards per attempt (9.6) and setting a franchise record with 4,280 yards passing.
The 49ers have talented offensive players around Purdy.
“There was no time to develop him,” Shanahan said. “We just had to throw him in there. We were trying to win, had a chance to make a run to the playoffs. He came in, and we hoped he would be good because he wasn’t in practice. But he was better in the games. He didn’t lose a game that year that he finished and did a hell of a job. Now, he’s developing with everyone else.”
Purdy went 5-0 as a starter in the 2022 regular season. He was 12-4 this season (he did not play in the regular-season finale), and he engineered comeback wins over Green Bay and Detroit in the playoffs.
“I talk about him having just a strong foundation on who he is, and it’s rare, I think, people have that coming out of high school,” Shanahan said. “I bet he had it just by looking at what he did in college and how people speak of him. I know when he came to the league, you could see it on him right away.”
Garoppolo moved on to the Raiders, and Lance was traded to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick.
“You’ve seen it through everything,” Shanahan said of Purdy. “I mean the third-string quarterback, the starting quarterback, what he’s done this year. I mean he’s still the same guy as he was the first day, and you can ask him. I think it has a lot to do with his faith, how he leads his life, but it carries in everything he does.”
CBS analyst Matt Ryan, a former Falcons quarterback who was league MVP under offensive coordinator Shanahan for the 2016 season, has been impressed with Purdy’s play.
“I think his level of calmness and just the no-blink attitude that he has is impressive,” Ryan said. “San Francisco, with the weapons they have on offense and the number of different guys they can do it with, to me presents a problem.”
Purdy is aware of the rich tradition at the quarterback position for the 49ers.
“For me, as a quarterback coming into the league, it gets – it’s been a blessing to have such a great supporting cast around me,” Purdy said. “Obviously, the keys weren’t just given to me or anything, that had to be earned.”
Purdy had to learn Shanahan’s voluminous playbook. “It’s a lot,” Ryan said. Then Purdy had to earn the respect of his teammates.
“Over time, I’ve been able to step into that role and be ready for my opportunity,” Purdy said. “At the same time, man I have a lot of help around me, and it’s allowed me to develop. I’m going to continue to develop with the help and the cast that I have around me. ... There’s a lot more room for me to grow.”
As far as former 49ers quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young, they have been supportive of Purdy.
“They’ve set the standard for winning in this organization,” Purdy said. “When you look at the 49ers logo, you think of success and Super Bowls because of those guys.”
The 49ers lost Super Bowls in the 2012 season after beating the Falcons in the NFC title game and in the 2019 season. They lost four other times in the NFC title game before getting back to the Super Bowl this season.
The 49ers’ last Super Bowl win was in the 1994 season, when George Siefert’s team, led by Young and wide receiver Jerry Rice, blasted the Chargers, 49-26 in Super Bowl 29.
“There’s a standard here, and at the same time, when I talk to (Young and Montana), they’ve been so great to me and supporting me,” Purdy said. “When you’re in their presence, you’re obviously in the presence of greatness. They got the job done. So, definitely makes you think like, all right, let’s step it up.”
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