NASHVILLE, Tenn., — NFL Alum and FOX analyst Greg Olsen has been watching Brock Purdy since the quarterback's first professional start and believes the 49ers star doesn’t get enough credit for what he is able to do on the field.
The former tight end, in Nashville last week to help host Tight End University with 49ers star George Kittle and Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro Travis Kelce, spoke to NBC Sports Bay Area about a conversation he had last year with Brian Griese in which San Francisco's quarterbacks coach revealed what has made Purdy so successful.
“[Griese] told me last year [Purdy's] magic wand is, his secret weapon is, 'He’s the fastest processor I’ve ever been around,' ” Olsen said. “[Minnesota Vikings] Sam Darnold told me the same thing. For both of those guys to say that unprompted, speaks volumes.
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“They aren’t just saying that to coach speak, we were having a personal conversation talking about Brock and what a great couple of years he’s had, and his ability to process things quickly, eliminate the throws that aren’t there, get through his progression to the throws that are there, what the coverage dictates, what the play clock dictates. It's a huge differentiator in this league, and he does that at a very high level.”
Olsen was there at the start of Purdy’s journey, on the call for the quarterback’s first start Week 14 of the 2022 season against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Olsen's broadcast team continued to cover 49ers games with Purdy at the helm through last season’s NFC Championship Game.
The former tight end believes that being surrounded by star talent like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk helps Purdy’s success but it isn’t the only reason. Olsen made it clear the Iowa State product doesn’t get the respect he deserves from the public.
“They aren’t winning in spite of him, they are winning a lot of times because of him,” Olsen said. “I think that’s important for people to realize. With the Christian McCaffreys, the Kittles, Trent Williams, Deebo, Aiyuk and then you can go on and on, and that’s just on offense.
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“The stars they have, have been held against him, and I think from a football standpoint, people that study the game, who watch football, watch what makes that offense click, I think that’s a huge mistake.”
Olsen does agree that Purdy’s supporting cast helps his success, along with coach Kyle Shanahan calling the plays for the offense. Still, the ball has to get from Point A to Point B, and Purdy is the one who facilitates and makes the system successful.
“It’s just pretty remarkable what he’s been able to accomplish in such a short period of time,” Olsen said. “I think it’s a testament to the amount of time he played in college. He got a lot of reps, a lot of experience and just his demeanor. Everybody you talk to there says the guy is such a stud.
“I think people don’t give him enough credit for what he does because he’s kind of at the mercy of the talented guys around him. I don’t think it should be used against him, I think he’s earned everything he’s had. He’s as big of a part of the reason they are winning.”
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