Drew Brees on Brock Purdy's playmaking abilities: 49ers 'needed it, and he did it'

Count former NFL quarterback Drew Brees among those who feel Brock Purdy is far more than just a game manager.

Throughout his (eventual) Pro Football Hall of Fame career, quarterback Drew Brees also received accusations that he was not the prototypical signal-caller who embodied the physique and look. At 6-foot-0 and 209 pounds, plenty felt he was too short and small in stature to be adequate.

While there are plenty of different reasons, many of the same things are being said about the 6-foot-1 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

Purdy and the Niners are poised to battle the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58 this Sunday, and Brees was kind enough to join FanSided's Stacking the Box Podcast at radio row in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Brees' mission was to show the two awards for FedEx Air Player of the Year, awarded to Purdy, and FedEx Ground Player of the Year, awarded to All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey.

As Brees pointed out, this marked the first time in award history that two teammates received both the FedEx Air and FedEx Ground Player of the Year awards.

Considering Purdy has been a hot topic leading up to the big game, and Brees might know a thing or two about quarterbacking, it's only natural that the FanSided team of Join Sterling Holmes and Malcom Harris-Gowdie discuss what the San Francisco signal-caller brings to the table.

Drew Brees touts Brock Purdy, says 49ers QB has made 'defining moments'

"There's a system in place, and our job as a quarterback is to operate the system. And operate it at the highest level," Brees said.

"What's impressed me with Brock is, No. 1, his knowledge of the system and the timing and rhythm of his feet," Brees continued. "Watch his feet at all times. He's coming off play action-fake. His eyes and his feet are to this first progression on this skinny post in and around the backer. And if it's not there, then he's kicking the ball out to McCaffrey. [He has] the ability to handle all the shifts and motions that offense does."

"The thing that most impressed me about Brock, and that he didn't get enough credit for, is that in this last game [against the Detroit Lions], he ran for three critical first downs," Brees added. "Huge plays that were really defining moments, offensively, for them in that game in my opinion.

"That's not really his forte. But they needed it, and he did it."

You can check out the full run of interviews that our friends at Stacking the Box are doing from radio row at Super Bowl 58 by clicking here.

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