Steve Young Sends Strong Message to Brock Purdy

When comparing San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks, it’s evident that Brock Purdy faces a significant challenge in matching Steve Young’s prowess in rushing. During his tenure from 1989 to 1999, Young established himself as a formidable dual-threat, amassing 608 yards and 37 touchdowns on the ground, averaging an impressive 5.9 yards per carry. In contrast, Purdy, over two seasons, has averaged a modest 2.6 yards per carry. Despite this, Purdy’s playoff performances have shown promise, particularly in his ability to gain crucial yardage, tallying 74 yards on 14 carries and securing five first downs. Young acknowledges the potential in Purdy’s running game and hopes to see him capitalize on it further.

“He told you after the NFC Championship Game, ‘I’m not the biggest, I’m not the fastest, I’m not the strongest,’” Young said on KNBR on February 14. “So what he’s saying is, ‘I’m going to do it my own way. And I’m going to do it mostly retail.’ In other words, ‘Give me a great play. Give me some great players. And I will light you up.’ Right? … A big, huge bulk of the game is doing what I just described, which is his superpower.”

“But there’s a big part of the game where he’s going to have to figure out how to match,” Young said regarding Purdy matching the opponent’s quarterback. “If we’re talking about Super Bowls. If we’re talking about championship football. If we’re talking about January and February football. He’s going to have to figure out — and Kyle’s going to have to figure out — how to make him the 11th guy out of the huddle.”

“Attacking his presence to the line of scrimmage. A threat. That is the difference maker. That is the game today,” Young concluded.

Niners Couldn’t Stop QB Runs in Super Bowl

San Francisco just saw that dual-threat dynamic in the Super Bowl with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who rushed for 66 yards on nine carries. Mahomes kept drives going that made the difference in the game.

Purdy previously made key runs down the stretch in both NFC playoff games against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in January. Against the Chiefs, he wasn’t able to do as much damage against the Chiefs, and Purdy finished with 12 yards on three carries.

Brock Purdy expressed his readiness to enhance his rushing capabilities ahead of the upcoming NFL season. The third-year quarterback disclosed his intention to focus on developing this aspect of his game during the offseason, following his wedding in March. Purdy’s commitment to improving his running ability signals his dedication to evolving as a versatile threat on the field, aiming to contribute more dynamically to his team’s offensive strategy.