San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan defended his quarterback, Brock Purdy, who does not play well in the rain or snow. He compared him to John Elway, who also did not play well in wet climates.
Kyle Shanahan Compares Purdy to John Elway In Wet Weather
It is not Purdy’s fault he plays for the 49ers. The 49ers play in northern California, where it has a tendency to rain, especially in the winter.
Purdy does not like to play in the rain. He says he has a problem with playing in it but is learning to get better at it.
“Any person that’s throwing an object in the rain, it makes it wet, the grip isn’t as good,” Purdy said after the Week 15 Thursday night game against the Los Angeles Rams, a 12-6 loss.
“I think for me it’s been more about learning how to change the motion a little bit and throw differently in the rain. You can’t just get back there and be as violent as you normally are and the ball can come out and all that kind of stuff.”
Shanahan thought of a quarterback who couldn’t handle the rain very well either. He compared him to Elway who used to play for Shanahan’s father, Mike.
“I think Brock does a solid job. I think it’s hard for everyone. That last game that we played on Thursday night, that [rain] was a lot worse than we anticipated. I thought both him and [Matthew] Stafford both had some moments where they struggled. … There’s gonna be some stuff that’s off, just like anybody, but he’s not gonna be as bad, kind of how my dad felt about John [Elway] at that time.”
Kyle Shanahan on Brock Purdy playing in bad weather:
“I think Brock does a solid job. I think it’s hard for everyone. That last game that we played on Thursday night, that (rain) was a lot worse than we anticipated. I thought both him and Stafford both had some moments where… pic.twitter.com/s2MlzMlT4K
— Coach Yac 🗣 (@Coach_Yac) December 21, 2024
Shanahan said his dad would always get nervous before rain games because of Elway’s disdain for them. Elway struggled in rainy environments.
Purdy has his struggles too. In four career games in the rain or snow, Purdy’s completion percentage is 52.2%, his passer rating is 66.3, and he has fumbled twice.
“So, it’s like, it comes down to sort of learning how to handle those kinds of environments and finding a way to complete the ball, move the chains, stay on the field, put up points, those are all things that you’ve sort of just got to learn as you go,” Purdy said.
“And so, for me, and if I see bad weather for a possibility in a game, I don’t freak out or anything. It’s just like, all right, how can I be better and learn from games that I’ve played in those kind of situations or environments? So that’s how I look at it, and for me, I can play in it.”
