49ers starter relishing Super Bowl pressure after wild journey

It's not exactly breaking news to say there is a lot of pressure on the shoulders of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in Super Bowl 58.

While there be a substantial spotlight on Purdy, there won't be anywhere as close to the same level of attention on the man snapping him the ball, center Jake Brendel.

In calling protections against the Kansas City Chiefs' defense led by a coordinator in Steve Spagnuolo who loves to use aggressive and creative pressure looks, Brendel has a huge job on his hands.

Thankfully, this week he sounded like a man ready for the challenge, telling A to Z Sports:

"You really got to be ready for everything. You can watch as much film as you want, but they're always gonna bring something like something new that you haven't seen, and you've just got to be able to adapt on the fly and on the run and when they do do something that you've seen before on film you've got to make sure you pick that up because there's really no there's no excuse, especially coming into the Super Bowl, having an entire season to watch of film, there's no excuse for you to not have the stuff that's on film down to a science."

An athletic center who excels getting to the second level and taking on linebackers, Brendel will also have a critical role to play in ensuring the 49ers are in a position to take advantage of the Chiefs' weakness defending the outside zone runs that have long since been a staple of the Kyle Shanahan offense.

"I'm not I'm not gonna say that that's what we're going to attack them," Brendel added of that apparent and decided matchup edge. 

"We definitely have our bread and butter plays. And we definitely see some vulnerabilities in their front just like we do every single week with any other opponent. Just that's that's that's how you game plan. 

"We always go into every single game, knowing that we have to establish our bread and butter offense. And without that it's really tough to make plays, so it's tough to get the offense going. So yeah, it's really it's really imperative that we know how to do our our plays against them effectively."

A pretty wild journey

Brendel spoke about the understanding of his assignment with the calm of a highly experienced veteran, but the 2023 season was only his second as the starter.

Undrafted out of UCLA in 2016, Brendel only made three starts across his first four seasons in the NFL before joining the 49ers in 2020. He was a COVID-19 opt out his first year with San Francisco before returning to back up Alex Mack in 2021.

The 49ers giving him a shot to start in 2022 represented a significant gamble, at least from an outside perspective, at a position of underrated importance. However, he has repaid San Francisco's faith with two seasons of dependable play, earning a four-year extension with his play in 2022.

"I knew what type of player I was. It was just kind of an unfortunate timing thing when I came out for the draft. I probably should have left as a junior, but yeah, it was just it was a humbling experience.

"It also just started a fire in me to be honest. I worked as hard as I possibly could to get where I am today. I wouldn't take back any decision that I made, regardless of the outcome because I am here right now I work my butt off every single team that I work for every single coach that I've worked with just look just just looking back it's pretty wild that it's all come to fruition now."

Thankful for Foerster

Brendel was brought in by the 49ers on the recommendation of Chris Foerster, their offensive line coach and run game coordinator, who joined the team in 2019. Foerster had previously worked with Brendel with the Miami Dolphins.

Asked about coach Foerster's impact on his career, Brendel said: "Foerster was really the first coach to really give me a shot at a starting position. He knew that I could start in the league, and it was just kind of a timing thing right I was behind Mike Pouncey, who was a great player in Miami, and I was behind Alex Mack, who's another great player, here so he knew what he had in me and it was just a timing thing on when he was going to release me to the public. 

"Foerster, without Foerster I wouldn't be where I am today. And I have tonnes of gratitude for that man because he really has done everything in his power to get me as far in my career as possible. I'm very thankful."

Brendel is now at a point in his career that, in percentage terms, not many players reach, and the enormity of getting the chance to help put the offense in a position to succeed in the Super Bowl is not lost on him.

"It's a dream come true and really to get to this point," said Brendel. 

"I mean, I spent a good portion of my career in the NFL as a backup, as a practice squad player, so I've seen how hard work and dedication can earn you a starting spot and then that starting spot for being on a good team and with a good front office and ownership to get you to a Super Bowl. It really is something just incredibly special to be a part of."