If there's one eye for good quarterbacking, it's 49ers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana.
Second-year quarterback Brock Purdy will lead the 49ers under center in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium as the San Francisco franchise is one win away from capturing its sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy. and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Montana Joined”The Rich Eason Show“This week in Las Vegas, he discussed Purdy's ascension to the NFL and why the skepticism surrounding the young quarterback is misplaced.
“I don't know what they're talking about, the guy plays good football and everybody still doubts him,” Montana told Eason. “I think he understands this offense and understands the people around him. He doesn't force balls. But you can always tell when a guy is comfortable in an offense when he plays like Brock plays.
“Don't second-guess him, second-guess the draft. He's proof, [Tom] Brady's evidence is that they haven't figured out how to draw. What is important and what is not. Because you never know who is going to make that change. I don't know why people are second-guessing him.”
Critics often label Purdy a “game manager” whose performance season saw him be a finalist for the NFL MVP award, named an NFC Pro Bowl starter and break numerous league and franchise records largely due to the supporting cast around him. .
Montana joined in.”The Don Patrick Show“This week he offered his advice to Purdy ahead of the 24-year-old's first Super Bowl appearance, explaining how Purdy's situation in coach Kyle Shanahan's offense compares to legendary coach Bill Walsh's.
“Don't do anything different than you've been doing,” he advised Purdy. “I like what he's been doing, he's found a way to understand what the offense is, and the people around him can only make him better. His job is to find a way to get the ball to those people.
“That's how Bill's offense usually worked when we had Jerry [Rice] and John Taylor. John Taylor goes over 90 twice [yards] In [Dec. 11, 1989 49ers-Rams game]. I threw two seven-yard passes on one slant, but in the books, I had 190 yards passing and two touchdowns.”
Montana seems to subscribe to the belief that technically all signal-callers are “game managers” or “system quarterbacks,” and his four-time Super Bowl-winning, first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback is no different.
A victory for Birdie against the defending champion Chiefs on Sunday would go a long way to quieting most of his remaining doubters.
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