Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been an NFL head coach or coordinator for 15 seasons during his career. He’s faced all the great quarterbacks in the league during that time. Spagnuolo praised San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy when he met with the media on Friday.
Spagnuolo gave his opinion on one of the most debated topics around the Super Bowl: Is Purdy simply a game manager?
Steve Spagnuolo Impressed With Brock Purdy
Spagnuolo dismissed the idea that some people in the media think Purdy is a game manager. He said, “When you dive into it and you’re watching, it’s not a quarterback who’s managing all those tabs they put on him. He’s for real. He makes all the throws. He’s really, really smart.”
The Chiefs defensive coordinator discovered one aspect of Purdy’s game when watching game tape. He said, “What I didn’t know is how athletic he is. This is another quarterback that, when you cover everything back there, he finds a lane in a pass rush lane and can take off. He did it last week. He’s done it in every playoff game. He gets positive yards. That puts a lot of strain on us defensively. Thoroughly impressed.”
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid also praised Purdy, saying, “Yeah, he’s a heck of a player. Last week, he did as much with his legs as he did with his arms. He ran the ball well. He’s a good football player. He’s smart and he’s got a great feel for things.”
Purdy had two 21-yard rushes and one 10-yard rush in the second half against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game. Two of the runs moved the ball into the red zone and another run on third down extended a drive.
Purdy’s Pro Bowl Season
Purdy completed 69.4% of his passes with 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this season and was named the starting quarterback for the NFC Pro Bowl team. He also set a 49ers franchise record with 4,280 passing yards.
Former 49ers and Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice added his support for Purdy on Thursday. In an interview with NFL Network, he said, “Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, supposed to be that, I guess that game manager, that’s what they keep saying. I feel like he’s an elite quarterback.”
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Rice added an impressive comparison for Purdy: “He makes plays, man, like a (Joe) Montana, like a Steve Young. Just a down-to-earth person who wants to win. He’s going to do everything he can to get that victory.”
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