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Who's Better at his Job: 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan or QB Brock Purdy?

Granted, Shanahan has been coaching far longer than Purdy has been playing quarterback, so it's tough to compare their resumes. But if you had to choose, which person currently is doing their job at a higher level?

Grant Cohn

Jan 28, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) celebrates with the George Halas Trophy after winning the NFC Championship football game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) celebrates with the George Halas Trophy after winning the NFC Championship football game against the Detroit Lions at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Most people would agree that Kyle Shanahan is a top-five coach in the NFL and Brock Purdy ranks just outside of the top 10 quarterbacks. Which would imply that Shanahan is better at his job than Brock Purdy is at his. But is that true?

Granted, Shanahan has been coaching far longer than Purdy has been playing quarterback, so it's tough to compare their resumes. But if you had to choose, which person currently is doing their job at a higher level?

Consider that Brock Purdy just led the entire NFL in passer rating, which means statistically he was the no. 1 player at his position in 2023. As opposed to Shanahan, an offensive coach who never has produced a no. 1 offense in his career.

Also consider that Purdy won the Fiesta Bowl as a sophomore starting quarterback at Iowa State. As opposed to Shanahan, who never has won a championship at any level.

Also consider that Purdy played well in the Super Bowl despite a running game that averaged just 3.5 yards per carry, an offensive line that gave up nine unblocked pass rushers, a group of receivers who couldn't get open and a head coach/play-caller who choked with the lead in the second half as he has done in multiple Super Bowls.

Shanahan is a chok artist. He has given away three Super Bowls in which he had a lead in the second half. As opposed to Purdy, who is not a choker. He's a winner who has more poise at 24 years old than Shanahan will have in his entire life.

I'm taking Purdy over Shanahan any day.

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Grant Cohn
GRANT COHN

Grant Cohn has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily since 2011. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where he wrote the Inside the 49ers blog and covered famous coaches and athletes such as Jim Harbaugh, Colin Kaepernick and Patrick Willis. In 2012, Inside the 49ers won Sports Blog of the Year from the Peninsula Press Club. In 2020, Cohn joined FanNation and began writing All49ers. In addition, he created a YouTube channel which has become the go-to place on YouTube to consume 49ers content. Cohn's channel typically generates roughly 3.5 million viewers per month, while the 49ers' official YouTube channel generates roughly 1.5 million viewers per month. Cohn live streams almost every day and posts videos hourly during the football season. Cohn is committed to asking the questions that 49ers fans want answered, and providing the most honest and interactive coverage in the country. His loyalty is to the reader and the viewer, not the team or any player or coach. Cohn is a new-age multimedia journalist with an old-school mentality, because his father is Lowell Cohn, the legendary sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle from 1979 to 1993. The two have a live podcast every Tuesday. Grant Cohn grew up in Oakland and studied English Literature at UCLA from 2006 to 2010. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife.

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