Kyle Shanahan reveals how Brock Purdy has surprised 49ers

Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy continues to surprise individuals associated with the San Francisco 49ers.

"I think [Purdy's arm is] definitely stronger than what we thought it was when we drafted him, but we saw that the first day out of rookie minicamp," San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters during a Monday conference call, per David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "I think when people talk about arm strength, can he sit there and take three hitches and make the wrong decision and just wait and throw 70 yards down the field? Probably not, but when do you ever want a guy to do that? On the Hail Mary, maybe?" 

Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 to address a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow but has since silenced concerns related to that injury. He completed 21-of-25 passes for 333 yards with three touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating against the Buccaneers to help the Niners improve to 7-3 ahead of the Thanksgiving Night matchup at the 6-4 Seattle Seahawks. 

According to ESPN stats, Purdy began Monday ranked first in the NFL among qualified players with a 77.1 adjusted QBR, a 115.1 passer rating and an average of 9.7 yards per pass attempt on the season. The 23-year-old ended the weekend tied for sixth with 18 touchdowns through the air. 

"But you like guys who can make all the throws in the timing of the play, which is usually going by the right decisions, and when to throw it deep, when to throw it short, when to check it down, when to go over the middle," Shanahan continued during his comments. "And Brock's always had the arm strength to make all those throws."

As of Monday afternoon, oddschecker listed Purdy fifth among the betting favorites at +1800 odds to earn Most Valuable Player honors for this season. That same outlet had the 49ers as seven-point favorites for Thursday's game at the Seahawks.