49ers HC Kyle Shanahan Describes Brock Purdy's Mentality During Games

Interesting.

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (right) and head coach Kyle Shanahan (left) look on the in second half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Kyle Shanahan's coaching makes it notoriously difficult to impress him during San Francisco 49ers games.

He's relentless in his approach, but rightly so. Football is all about situational awareness and having the ability to anticipate every possible scenario before it unfolds.

Everybody within the 49ers organization always talks highly of what it's like to play under his leadership. He sets high standards for himself and his players, demanding them to be at the very best of their game.

In a recent interview, Shanahan spoke at length about why Brock Purdy is "awesome" to coach, explaining that the quarterback perfectly embodies what he wants from the position. 

“On our first touchdown vs Denver, he had an awesome drive. He scored throwing that ball to Deebo and did his little Dougie, but there were a few plays on that drive where I thought he did lose his patience, where he just gave up on things a little quick, didn’t have confidence in them and broke the pocket and didn’t sit there and play quarterback," shared Shanahan with NBC Sports Bay Area.

Oct 4, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on the sidelines during a game against the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. I remember him coming off the field and we didn’t have any play on the one Deebo scored on. It was an off-schedule and Brock found him and it was awesome. I was like 'Dude, we scored because of you on that drive, but settle down some. There was a couple plays in there that I thought you were losing your patience and getting out too quick' and that’s why Brock’s awesome.

"He doesn’t get offended, he’s like 'I know, it was unlucky wasn’t it', it was two plays he did it on. So you can keep coaching him no matter what the game’s like and you keep it moving after that.”

Shanahan has had multiple quarterbacks in his time at San Francisco, but none are on the same level as Purdy.

This applies to both his ability and his coachability. Purdy's ability to remain composed under pressure is a key quality. The best example is the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions.

Purdy is the ideal quarterback for Shanahan's system. Now, the challenge is to translate that into another Super Bowl appearance and, ultimately, win it all.

They've come close twice, so anything's possible if Purdy remains the quarterback. It's still incredible to think about the circumstances that led the franchise to get him.