Why 49ers QB Brock Purdy is Kyle Shanahan's 'Guy'

Kyle Shanahan's Quarterback Philosophy: Why Brock Purdy Fits Perfectly

During a recent interview featuring Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, Shanahan offered a rare window into how he evaluates quarterbacks, and why doing so is harder than most fans realize. For Shanahan, the ideal quarterback isn't the one with the biggest arm or the most athletic frame, but the one who can operate within a system, play from the pocket, and throw with anticipation.

His reasoning is straightforward. Athletically dominant players often get away with less technical play because their raw talent compensates for it. Take Josh Allen, for instance. His arm strength and physicality allow him to wait for receivers to come open rather than throwing before the break. Lamar Jackson's speed and agility can turn broken plays into highlight reels, making anticipation less of a necessity.

This works fine at lower levels of competition, where a handful of gifted athletes can single-handedly carry their teams. But in the NFL, where every player is an elite athlete, that advantage shrinks. Suddenly, being able to read defenses, process quickly, and deliver the ball on time matters far more. Allen and Jackson are elite players, but even they sometimes hold the ball too long, an issue that tends to surface under playoff pressure, when the margin for error disappears.

Brock Purdy: Built for Shanahan's System

Brock Purdy isn't an athletic outlier, yet he's taken the 49ers to a Super Bowl and earned a top-tier paycheck. Critics often harp on what he isn't: not the strongest arm, not the fastest runner. But that's missing the point entirely. As Shanahan himself has emphasized, Purdy doesn't need to be a physical marvel; he needs to be an elite quarterback. The two are not necessarily intertwined.

Purdy is athletic enough to keep the playbook open, but his true strength lies in the subtler traits: poise, accuracy, timing, and anticipation. He thrives within Shanahan's structured system, where precision matters more than improvisation. Shanahan doesn't need a quarterback who is a playmaker; he needs one who executes the play and gets the ball to the athletes he's schemed open.

The "What-Ifs"

It's easy to play a hypothetical game. What if Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen were the 49ers' quarterback? On paper, the team might look unstoppable. But both of their offenses are built entirely around their unique skill sets — and despite their brilliance, neither has reached the Super Bowl. In this case, it's not for lack of talent or coaching; both have good surrounding casts.

Would they thrive in Shanahan's timing-heavy, rhythm-based system? Maybe. Maybe not. What we do know is that Kyle Shanahan believes he's found his quarterback—one who embodies exactly what he values most at the position—and I, for one, trust him.