Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy has saved the 49ers' season by continuing the team's winning ways. But he is doing so while bringing a hint of his own swagger to the gridiron each week.
San Francisco trailed the Las Vegas Raiders 10-7 in the second quarter last Sunday and faced a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line. What happened next is what 49ers general manager John Lynch considers his all-time favorite Purdy moment.
"The Raiders ran a three-man rush," Lynch said Friday on KNBR. "We had an open route to the right. For whatever reason, Brock came off him. That’s unlike him because 9.9 out of 10 times this kid makes the right decision. ... He decides to extend the play and hits [tight end George] Kittle in the back of the end zone."
Purdy spun around, hustled to his left and flicked a perfect pass over the outstretched arms of two Raiders defenders into Kittle's hands. Touchdown, 49ers.
"I was watching [49ers coach] Kyle [Shanahan] on the sidelines, and Kyle was staring down at Brock," Lynch continued. "Kyle can do that sometimes. It’s not the outcome; he wants the process to be right. I loved the swagger of Brock. Brock does the 'ice in his veins' thing to Kyle, like, ‘I’ve got this, man!’
"The kid’s got a little swagger to him."
Even Shanahan, who strives for perfection on every play, couldn't help himself.
"Kyle wasn’t happy at first, but Kyle said, ‘I couldn’t do anything but chuckle,’ " Lynch said. "I think they had a good discussion about that afterwards."
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Purdy, the fifth quarterback in NFL history to win his first four starts, has one more regular-season test before the playoffs begin. The rise of "Mr. Irrelevant" already is one of the best stories in the NFL this season, but Purdy can write his own 49ers legacy by leading the team on a deep postseason run.
You can bet that same swagger is following the rookie into the playoff bracket.