During the recent San Francisco 49ers’ “State of the Franchise” event, head coach Kyle Shanahan hailed quarterback Brock Purdy as more than just a dynamic on-the-field contributor.

“Brock’s as genuine of a person as I’ve been around,” Shanahan explained, as shared by David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. “And when you have someone who’s like that, such a solid foundation of who they are as a man, what they want in life, Brock is a really good person who is totally dedicated to his job and his craft and being the best at it, and he’s extremely talented at it. So, whatever Brock goes through, he gets stronger, good or bad.”

Purdy famously joined the 49ers as the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft but became their starter in December of that year after both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo went down with season-ending injuries. The Iowa State product went a perfect 7-0 en route to guiding San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie before he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow during what became a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in January 2023.

Some wondered if Purdy would miss part or most of his second pro campaign while recovering from his injury. The 24-year-old instead returned to action for Week 1 last September, and he later emerged as a finalist for the Most Valuable Player Award.

Purdy was one defensive stop away from hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a Super Bowl champion this past February, but it wasn’t to be.

“He’s just as genuine as a person and as genuine as you guys see on tape,” Shanahan added about Purdy. “And when those two go together, just put good people around him that are like-minded, and usually good things happen.”

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Purdy tied for fifth among the betting favorites (with two others) at +1400 odds to claim the MVP Award for the upcoming regular season. That same outlet listed the 49ers as the overall favorites at +250 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX.

Also during the club’s “State of the Franchise,” Purdy noted that he feels he’s “gotten better” amid his first full offseason as a healthy starter. Perhaps those who believe Purdy hasn’t yet reached his ceiling will be proven right by February 2025.