49ers' Kyle Shanahan Gives Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Backhanded Praise

Shanahan is hard to please.

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

SANTA CLARA -- Kyle Shanahan is extremely picky when it comes to quarterbacks.

He likes a certain type. I'm talking about the guy who stands in the pocket and beats the defense with his mind more than his arm. Think Tom Brady or Philip Rivers. Kyle Shanahan gushed about Rivers in particular the week before the 49ers faced him this season.

This week, the 49ers will face reigning Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, who could put together a Hall of Fame resume if he wins another Lombardi Trophy.

But Hurts does not seem like the kind of quarterback who would thrive under Shanahan. He seems like the exact kind of quarterback Shanahan doesn't like.

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

To find out, I asked Shanahan about Hurts at his press conference on Wednesday. Keep in mind, Shanahan always tries to be nice about the upcoming opponent, but he has a tough time concealing how he truly feels.

"He's got a big-time arm," Shanahan said. "And so, with those wideouts that he has, he's capable of making any throw, whether on time or extremely late. Usually, when a quarterback is that late, he can't throw it that far and catch up with those guys. He can. You have to honor the entire field with him.

"Any time you have a quarterback who's capable of doing that, who also is a threat every single play throughout an entire game with his legs, it's an issue whether he uses it or not. When somebody is a threat like that, you have to adjust certain things that you don't have to worry about versus other people. Whether they do it or not, you know they have to honor it. That slows down your defense as a whole."

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TRANSLATION: Hurts is a good athlete, not a good quarterback. As a passer, he's often late, but he can get away with his lateness because he has great wide receivers and a great offensive line. Plus, he doesn't have to pass much, considering he doubles as a running back and the Eagles are a run-first team. Their passing game is complementary.

Hurts is a bad fit for Shanahan's offensive system, because it's built on timing. He wants his quarterback to reach the top of his drop in the pocket and then throw the ball with anticipation, not stand there and wait for someone to get open.

I'm guessing Shanahan's game plan for Hurts is to contain him in the pocket and force him to win with his mind and his arm. Of course, to pull off this strategy, the 49ers will have to stop the run, something they could not do this past Saturday against the Seahawks, who don't have Hurts or Saquon Barkley. The Eagles do.

The 49ers generally have defended Hurts well when they've faced him. Unfortunately for them, they have no pass rush this time around, and their run defense just got obliterated by Seattle. Hurts might not have to pass much to beat them.

It will be interesting to see if the 49ers can put the game in Hurts' hands.