How Shanahan’s ‘holy cow’ moment cemented his faith in Purdy originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
It didn’t take long for 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan to feel comfortable with seventh-round rookie quarterback Brock Purdy under center.
After replacing veteran flagman Jimmy Garoppolo in the first quarter of the 49ers’ Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins, Purdy became an overnight sensation. The Iowa State product helped San Francisco win its first four starts after appearing over three quarters against Miami.
Shanahan joined KNBR 680’s “Tolbert & Copes” on Thursday, where he was asked if he ever thought he’d be this comfortable with a rookie quarterback in Purdy’s unique situation.
“No, definitely not,” Shanahan said. “And I think when it hit me was after his first game. When I came home that night, I was surprised. Jimmy [Garoppolo] falls and gets injured, he’s in this game and they blitz and do a bunch of crazy stuff. We played with him for three quarters and when I got home that night I was like a ‘holy cow’. “
Not only did a seventh-round rookie take over at quarterback against Miami, but a seventh-round rookie who was the 49ers’ third quarterback. This scenario would be considered a disaster for most NFL teams. However, Purdy quickly made Shanahan forget about the 49ers’ dire situation.
“You realize your third guy is going, it’s his first game, but after watching him for a few sets, I quickly forgot,” Shanahan explained. “And it’s not because I forgot about it, it’s just because he made me forget about it. The ball goes to the right place, he plays aggressive but not stupid. He plays fast and things go well. I was surprised when I got home that night that I felt like that. Then you go into the Tampa Bay game and he had a great week of practice and felt that throughout the Tampa Bay game, so now it’s no surprise to me. It was fun, it was fun in training and it carried over into games.”
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The 49ers, much to Shanahan’s delight, turned out to be three deep at quarterback.
What could have been an unfathomable situation at the start of the season has become a reality for San Francisco, which hasn’t skipped a beat with Purdy under center.
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