Steve Young names 'superpower' possessed by 49ers' Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers legend and Hall of Famer Steve Young believed that current San Francisco starting quarterback Brock Purdy could be special as soon as Young watched Purdy play in relief of an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in early December 2022. 

"His processing," Young said about Purdy while speaking with Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. "That’s his superpower. His superpower is processing. If you’re [New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones ] — big, tall, strong, move around — then you go in the first round if you’re that kind of processer. If you’re smaller, not as big, not as strong, not as strong an arm, then you get drafted where Brock was drafted."

Purdy, of course, was the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft before he became a rookie sensation who is now a victory over the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday away from winning a Super Bowl as a second-year pro. 

Much has been made throughout this season about Purdy being a "game manager" who doesn't possess athletic gifts routinely flashed by stars such as Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes, but Young mentioned how Purdy already processes things during contests like a seasoned veteran. 

"[Purdy] has an ability I call 'Indiana Jones' — he finds the treasure in two seconds, faster and better than anybody," Young explained. "He’s very consistent, and he’s also kind of aggressive. He’s really efficient yet very aggressive. That’s a special power. There’s not that many guys that do that. But, when I say that, people say, 'Well, he can’t make the plays that those other prototype superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen (of the Buffalo Bills) can make.' And Brock’s like, 'OK, I can’t do that. But what I can do is I will grind you into a fine dust with my efficiency.'" 

One-time NFL Most Valuable Player and current CBS Sports NFL analyst Boomer Esiason noted earlier in the week how effortless Purdy seems while running "a very intricate offense" embraced by head coach Kyle Shanahan. Per Cannizzaro, such a trait is one reason Young "doesn’t believe Purdy should be viewed as an underdog to Mahomes" for Sunday's showdown. 

Vegas seemingly agrees as DraftKings Sportsbook has consistently listed the 49ers as two-point favorites over the Chiefs. That same outlet had Purdy as the betting favorite among San Francisco players at +235 odds to win the Super Bowl MVP Award as of early Friday afternoon.