Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees is back with more support of 49ers signal-caller Brock Purdy.
In a story published Tuesday, Brees told Saints Wire’s Crissy Froyd why NFL teams can glean valuable insight from Purdy’s unique journey and current situation.
“So, if he gets into a situation in San Francisco where he’s got a great offense, great run scheme, great head coach and he’s got all this high-level experience, that equates to success right away,” Brees told Froyd. “I think there’s a lot that can be learned from that story when you talk about how you draft guys and the situations you put them in.”
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Brees admires how Purdy has flourished within the 49ers’ offense since the franchise selected him with the final pick -- No. 262 overall -- in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback essentially explained that, while not calling Purdy a “game manager,” the 2023 NFL MVP finalist demonstrates a player benefitting from a favorable situation, hence serving as an example of what teams should try to create for their early-career quarterbacks.
Obviously, Purdy wasn’t a top prospect drafted into a mess of an offense, let alone an organization. Instead, the Iowa State product was greeted by offensive-minded coach Kyle Shanahan and his high-powered offense consisting of running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle. While the 2024 NFL season was a failure for San Francisco for a plethora of reasons, the 49ers have had big-picture success with Purdy and Co.
Purdy is due for a massive contract extension this offseason for good reason; he works well with what he has, and Brees loves that about the 25-year-old.
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“This is the way I look at Brock Purdy. Every single time he stepped on the field in college, he was an underdog,” Brees told Froyd. “So, here’s a guy who always had to play kind of with an edge, with a chip on his shoulder. … (He just) maximized everything about what they (the Cyclones) were doing offensively in order to win these games. And he’s very cerebral.
Purdy’s dominance at Iowa State -- 12,170 yards and 81 touchdowns over four seasons -- caught Brees’ attention and has carried over under the NFL spotlight.
Brees hopes more teams and executives take note of Purdy’s San Francisco “situation,” which already has netted the 49ers a Super Bowl appearance.
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