Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco 49ers are set to return to action, with their first game of the season slated for Sunday on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That game will mark quarterback Brock Purdy’s return in a meaningful game after the torn UCL that he sustained last season in the NFC Championship Game.
Throughout the offseason, there have been questions around Purdy, given his recovery, as well as the supposed limitations he showed on the field as a rookie.
However, one 49ers legend isn’t fazed by the negativity, and praised Purdy for his skillset, while providing context to the situation he’s currently in.
Former 49ers quarterback and Hall of Famer Joe Montana made a radio appearance recently, where he shared what impressed him about Purdy, citing his understanding of the offense and decision-making.
“He’s plugged himself into that offense pretty quickly with the understanding of what he has and the weapons that he has. He makes great decisions. The ball comes out quick in most cases because he’s already read the defense,” Montana said. “He’s used to studying film that way. He’s used to playing in the up pocket. He’s got some great weapons. You don’t have to force the ball down the field when you can dump it to Deebo [Samuel] or [Christian] McCaffrey. Those guys can make big plays. I was fortunate to have those guys in Jerry [Rice] and John Taylor.”
Now, Montana isn’t discounting what the bread-and-butter of the 49ers offense is, but rather looks at Purdy as a player who just needs to execute the offense for sustainability.
“The ability of those guys to run after the catch, you just have to understand that hey, ‘my job as a quarterback is to get the ball to those guys who are much better at running down the field with it or doing something with it than I was,” Montana said.
Montana understands that every player is prone to mistakes, but Purdy has done a good job of limiting those, while understanding the infrastructure of his team.
“He doesn’t make many bad decisions. We’ll always make mistakes no matter how good you are, but he keeps them to a minimum. You know, it’s okay to punt the ball and he knows he’s got a great defense behind him.”
As a result, Montana believes it isn’t that necessary to consistently force the ball downfield, placing his team in a bad situation, citing his own playing days as a similar case.
Can Purdy bounce back in his first meaningful game from injury next Sunday?
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