49ers’ Shanahan already trusts Purdy more than he ever did Jimmy G

The San Francisco 49ers demolished the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-7, on Sunday. But something happened that was even more encouraging than the final result: Kyle Shanahan was clearly confident in second-year quarterback Brock Purdy, who in turn looked more than capable of taking advantage of his star-studded supporting cast.

On their very first drive of the season, the 49ers started on their own 46-yard-line. Purdy completed a six-yard pass to Deebo Samuel on first down before a pair of handoffs gave the Niners a fourth-and-one opportunity just inside Pittsburgh territory. Cue the familiar feeling: Time to kick it away. Anyone who has watched the Shanahan era is used to seeing at least one drive per game stall in opposing territory and end with a frustrating punt. The stats back up that feeling, as Shanahan has been one of the most conservative fourth-down decision makers in the NFL throughout his tenure. While he was more aggressive inside the red zone last season, Shanahan has always been hesitant to risk ceding field position.

Many around the league consider Shanahan one of the most innovative play designers and play callers in the NFL. And that reputation has made it all the more confusing and aggravating for fans when he puts his play sheet down on promising drives that face a fourth-and-short.

On Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh, though, it was different. Maybe he was just motivated by avoiding a three-and-out on the first drive of the season. But Shanahan drew up a play, called timeout after getting a look at the Steelers’ defensive setup, called a different play, and Purdy found tight end George Kittle for an 11-yard completion. They capped the drive off with a touchdown and never looked back.

Amid all the heat surrounding Trey Lance and Sam Darnold this summer, it was easy to forget about Purdy. On Sunday, he picked up right where he left off after undergoing Tommy John surgery this offseason. Purdy’s lack of standout tools as a seventh-round draft pick make it easy to view him as simply a cheaper version of former 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Shanahan’s actions make it clear, though: He believes Purdy is already better than Jimmy G ever was.

Shanahan insisted throughout Garoppolo’s tenure that the gunslinger’s tendency toward dangerous, turnover-worthy plays never impacted his approach, but how he managed game situations says otherwise. Shanahan famously took the ball out of Garoppolo’s hands against the Vikings and Packers during the team’s postseason run to the Super Bowl in 2020. He traded three first-round picks and a third-round pick to move up in the 2021 draft to find his replacement. And it always seemed like Shanahan would shy away from the passing game with Garoppolo — even when it had been successful — once the Niners built a lead.

Garoppolo was the 49ers’ top signal caller for 10 games last season. Yet Shanahan only gave Garoppolo one opportunity to go for it on fourth down when the Niners weren’t desperate late or within a yard. It was in the second game of the season, when Garoppolo replaced an injured Lance against the Seattle Seahawks. Facing a fourth-and-nine from the Seahawks’ 39, Shanahan called a play that resulted in an incomplete pass to Danny Gray in the endzone. Garoppolo later noted that the play call was from a gameplan that had been designed around Lance.

Garoppolo wouldn’t get another chance in a similar fourth-down situation with the 49ers. Yet, when he went down with a season-ending injury of his own, Purdy would get a chance to go for a fourth-and-four in a tied game against the Dolphins on Miami’s 39-yard line. The play resulted in an interception. A few weeks later, Purdy would complete a 10-yard pass to George Kittle on a fourth-and-three from the Washington 11 in a victory over the Commanders.

In Sunday’s victory over the Steelers, it seemed noteworthy that Shanahan never stopped giving Purdy opportunities to throw. Even with the game well out of reach, he still mixed in pass plays on second down and on some third-and-shorts into the fourth quarter.

Could some of that be motivated by a desire to give Purdy more reps to make up for an offseason lost to surgery rehab? Absolutely. But it’s also easy to give a young player opportunities to get better when the coach trusts them more than the veteran they replaced.

The success — and longevity — of Shanahan’s remaining 49ers tenure likely hinges on Purdy’s ability to live up to his head coach’s expectations. Shanahan traded Lance to one of the franchise’s biggest rivals. The move both showed his skepticism that Lance will ever develop into a starting QB, and signaled his confidence that Purdy will make Lance’s future a moot point to the 49ers faithful. If he’s wrong, it could eventually cost him his job — or, at least, his de facto GM job. But the 49ers are at their best when Shanahan maximizes his abilities as an offensive play caller. It seems like his confidence in Purdy is letting him do just that.