Former 49ers HC shares bold Brock Purdy, Super Bowl take

Former San Francisco 49ers head coach and current NFL analyst Steve Mariucci is among those who believe quarterback Brock Purdy can guide the club to a Super Bowl title this coming February. 

"If Brock Purdy can play like he did last year, the 49ers will win the Super Bowl," Mariucci confidently said during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," per Rohan Chakravarthi of 49ers WebZone. 

Purdy famously went from being the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft to a franchise savior beginning last December when he won seven consecutive starts through the playoffs until he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during the NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Across nine regular-season appearances (five starts over that time), Purdy completed 114-of-170 pass attempts for 1,374 yards with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. According to ESPN stats, he would've ranked fifth in the league with a 65.6 adjusted QBR had he finished the campaign among eligible players for that stat. 

Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young generated headlines last week when he said he thinks Purdy "can win Super Bowls" with the 49ers. Fellow franchise legend Joe Montana, current San Francisco linebacker Fred Warner and NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah shared similar takes about Purdy last December. 

"I went to the training camp right down the road over here, and boy do they have a good football team," Mariucci added about the 49ers during the show segment. "They're a Super Bowl-caliber team, there's no doubt about that. If they stay healthy, it's going to be them and Philly, and may the best team win."

As of Wednesday afternoon, OddsChecker listed the 49ers second among betting favorites at +400 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVIII. The Eagles topped the list at +330 odds at that time. 

Meanwhile, Purdy has recovered from the elbow surgery he underwent in March and is on track to serve as an NFL Week 1 starter for the first time when the 49ers play at the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 10.