Kyle Shanahan didn't mince words about his intention with Brock Purdy and his future with the 49ers.
Back in 2022, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to CEO Jed York and said how he thought a seventh-round rookie, Brock Purdy, was the best quarterback the team had.
This, despite the Niners boasting a QB depth chart that included veterans Jimmy Garoppolo and Nate Sudfeld, as well as a high-profile recent investment, Trey Lance, whom most assumed would be the Niners' future.
Three years later, Purdy is now the future and face of the franchise under center.
The final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft reached an agreement on a five-year, $265 million contract extension, the biggest contract ever paid to a San Francisco player.
While other pundits and analysts from across the league may scoff a bit at the 49ers dishing out so much cash to someone who may never seem to be a top-five quarterback, Shanahan and the Niners clearly feel differently.
In the press release accompanying the extension's official announcement, Shanahan effectively said as much.
"Brock is the leader of our team," Shanahan said, via the team's website. "I've loved these three years with Brock. I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I'm here. Brock's been a stud. He's a guy I've got a lot of confidence in just as a human, but it starts with what he's done in the field these last two and a half years and capable of winning a Super Bowl with him... And I know he is capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future."
Shanahan didn't get fancy with his verbiage. He didn't say something like, "I'm looking forward to the future with Brock," or "he's our guy for a long time."
No, Shanahan declared he's planning on having Purdy as his quarterback for the remainder of his tenure with San Francisco.
Of course, those are just words. But Shanahan didn't mince them.
Talk about an endorsement.
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