Mark Schlereth: The 49ers Are Better With Brock Purdy at QB

Mark Schlereth: The 49ers Are Better With Brock Purdy at QB

If Brock Party is healthy and there’s no further risk of injury, uh, I would go back to Brock Party because he gives that element of athleticism and escapability in the back end. You’re a more dynamic offense is currently constructed uh, with the with the players that you have if you go if you go back to Brock Pury. I wonder about the NerS in that same vein who run a lot of 21 personnel and the way they use Juice the fullback. Are there things that Shanahan needs to kind of innovate away from in order to I don’t know be a little bit more of an explosive offense now? Um I don’t know. I don’t I I don’t think I would say that that is true. I think that you know I think it has a lot more to do with who’s playing up front for you and um and and obviously um who’s on the edges. I mean, when when you don’t fear playing one-on-one coverage with people, you can commit to stopping McCaff or you can commit to to stopping a lot of that stuff that uh that teams do. And you know, ultimately right now from a passing game standpoint, um name one dude that puts fear into your heart when you say, “Hey, we got to go manto man on this guy.” And and frankly, I would just argue that’s probably nobody. Um, you know, I think about it from the position I played as an offensive lineman. One of the things we used to always say is like, if you have not one guy who’s a pass rusher that I’m afraid of going one-on-one with across the line of scrimmage, we’re going to whip your ass. Like, get there’s just there’s there’s no two ways about it. Now, all of a sudden, when you get one pass rusher or two pass rushers that are a problem, then you guys become a real issue for us um as a group in general. And so cuz then you got to start committing guys to stopping the pass rush to doing that. Now you’re not getting anybody out. You know, now you’re getting two or three guys out. And if your two or three guys can’t beat man-to-man coverage, you’re not going to win a lot of games. And so I think those are the things that we look at with San Francisco right now as they wait to get some some health back on that uh receiving core and and across the board with their uh with you know, their organization. I think those are the problems that you get into. Stink. We’ve got uh let’s see, Richard Sherman, we’ve got Brian Baldinger. We even sort of had Tom Brady getting lulled into the uh the they all have the same take right now. I know they lost, but M. Jones was really good. And so it is. Stick with M. Jones cuz he’s the hot hand even when Brock Perie is in relative health. Would you care to weigh in on that? Yeah, I I still think and and I’m not one of these guys that is like, “Hey man, um you know, you lose your job. You can’t lose your job to injury. You of course you can lose your job to injury if the guy who comes in plays better than you.” Um but Brock Party would give them an element of of athleticism in the back end in the at the quarterback position that M. Jones frankly doesn’t have and never will have. And so while you’re struggling, you know, while you’re struggling with health and with health related issues and lack of dynamic nature, the receiving core, I would definitely, me personally, if Rocky is healthy and there’s no further risk of of injury, um, other than, you know, the normal stuff that happens to you because you play football, uh, I would go back to Brock Birdie because he gives that element of athleticism and escapability. in the back end and maybe some a little bit more of a RPO type of game and some things that you have to contend with as a defense that frankly M Jones doesn’t have. And I understand, you know, he went 33 to 39 and had 300 yards passing and and I understand all those things. of course um you know how much of that is underneath and how much of that is because um you’re behind in the game and and yeah I understand the efficiency and stuff but I think uh you’re a more dynamic offense is currently constructed uh with the with the players that you have if you go if you go back to Brock Py what sort of a problem does the Arizona defense pose not only for Brock but potentially M Jones as well? Yeah, I think they’re I mean I think they’re ve very well coached on that side of the ball. I mean Sweat is you know Sweat is a you know a decent good pass rusher. Uh still Kas Campbell is still playing at a ridiculous level. It’s unbelievable. Um you know they’ve got they’ve got really good players on the back end. Uh Buddha Baker is a guy you always have to contend with. He’s all over the place. Has a blatant disregard for his own well-being. flies around about 190 lbs and just tries to absolutely destroy people. Um they’re they’re good. They are a good defense. Yeah. Um, ultimately, you know, ultimately to me, um, this is a really cool matchup because their defensive coordinator is a huge Kyle Shanahan fan. And, uh, and so that matchup, like he is going to be jazzed up for that matchup. And it it’ll be that’s going to be really that’s going to be a really cool matchup for them. Um, ultimately, you know, you look at Arizona offensively, you can say what you want and I think Burcett has done a really good job for them, but he’s a backup quarterback in this league and, you know, the Arizona Cardinals, frankly, just aren’t that good right now. Um, you you got one huge big- time problem is Trey McBride, but um, you know, it’ll be an interesting matchup to be sure. Yeah, I let let’s talk a little bit more about what you’re mentioning there that like the Arizona defensive staff is going to be all jacked up to face Kyle. I I think that we out here in the Bay right now, Mark, we’ve got a fan base that in a way is struggling to get overly excited because it feels like a great year is kind of off the table because of everything that has happened on the defensive side of the ball. But you’re a big Shanahan fan. I’m a big Shanahan fan. They they are they are relatively healthy there. Getting healthier. Maybe Perty, maybe Persol joining this group. When you put all that together, is that offense good enough to essentially outscore teams and and still leave an imprint on this season? Yeah. I mean, you know, it’s it’s funny you bring it up because you sit there and say, “Hey, man, they’re not, you know, they’re not playing very well and, you know, we’re probably not going to win the division and this, that, and the other.” And you guys have run away with a bunch of seasons and ultimately ended in disappointment. And to me, getting healthy at the right time, can you get healthy at the right time? Can you make a run at the right time? Can you, you know, at the end of the year be playing your best football? because ultimately it doesn’t really matter until then. And I tell you what, I take a average season to compete for a championship and to play really well in the playoffs. I I would take that any day of the week. So, I still think you have that, you know, that ability um if you get everybody healthy and if you start, you know, playing better football defensively. I don’t know. um a lot of young guys, a lot of injuries on the defensive side of the ball. You know, the lack of a a legitimate threat, the pass rusher, that’s going to make that hard. But just to get offensively, get back get back to feeling yourself. Um have some dynamic weapons on the outside with Pearl coming back and like you said, if I comes back, I don’t know his story right now, but u that could that could make a big difference. I’m just fascinated by the way the Cardinals have gone about their quarterback situation where Kyler Murray is hurt and he’s on IR, I guess, but it looks like they made a pivot to Brassette regardless of that. How would you size up the situation overall in Arizona at the quarterback position? Yeah, I mean, I think they found out the most important thing is that Kyler Murray probably isn’t their quarterback, and that’s a a great decision to make. Um, you know, and and ultimately he he just I look at Kyler and you know, I think I think at the quarterback position for the most part, consistently boring wins. That’s what wins in the NFL. And Sports Center highlights are cool, but that doesn’t win football games in the NFL. And for Kyler Murray, it always felt like to me Sports Center high I want to lead the league in Sports Center highlights. And like you can lead the league in Sports Center highlights, but you’re going to be five and whatever, you know, four and whatever. I don’t know the math anymore. Now they they went from 16 games. It was so easy back when it was 16 games. You know, I could say, “Hey, they’re going to be four and 12. Now I got to add a game in there.” So it’ll be four and 13. I suppose I’m not good math. I was a general studies major from the University of Idaho. So you added that 17th game and it’s not even anymore and it none of it makes sense to me anymore. I just have given up. Yeah. You know what though? I think this comes up around the league a lot, Mark. And I I when you describe these two, I don’t think you think they’re similar um in in Kyler Murray and Brock Pie, but maybe the situation is I I think that some people look at certain quarterbacks and they go, “Okay, this guy is he he’s good enough to take us to the playoffs. Um, but maybe he’s kind of a product of surroundings or he’s not good enough to get all the way over the top. Like he’s not a top five QB. What is usually the right thing to do? Like Dak Prescott, Derek Carr, what’s the right thing to do when that’s your guy? Is it to go ahead and pay the relevant quarterback or keep searching for great? Yeah. Well, I mean, the the principle, I guess, for me is there’s one Patrick Mahomes, you know, there’s there’s there’s, you know, like there’s three or four guys in the league right now that are that guy. And there are a bunch of others that aren’t. And then there’s some guys that are really, really good. And if you’ve got a guy that I think is really really good, you do in pretty then you could still win a championship, but you have to build around that guy. And I think the the biggest thing about playing is is not so much attacking somebody’s weakness as it is mitigating your own. And so when you have a guy that can win and a guy that can lead you and a guy that is, you know, is made of the right stuff, then it’s about but he maybe doesn’t have a couple of physical tools that you would like. Then it’s about mitigating those potential weaknesses and putting enough people and enough concepts around him for you to have a win a championship. and and those things that stuff is done because there’s only four teams that have the quarterback that could just carry them. But I would say of those of those teams, you know, of the how many championships has Lamar won? How many championships has Josh Allen won? How like they also have some of their pitfalls. So those are the things that you have to look at. And and I know we all want that unicorn playing quarterback for us, but unfortunately they just don’t make many of them. [Music]

NFL analyst and Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth joins the show to settle the Mac Jones vs Brock Purdy debate: “Your more dynamic offense is with Brock Purdy. He gives you athleticism and escapability that Mac Jones never will have.” Schlereth explains why you CAN lose your job to injury if the backup plays better, but argues that Brock’s mobility and RPO ability make the 49ers offense more dangerous despite Mac’s solid play (33/39, 300 yards). He breaks down why the 49ers lack a receiver that “puts fear into your heart,” discusses whether Kyle Shanahan needs to innovate away from 21 personnel, and delivers the hard truth: “There’s only one Patrick Mahomes—you have to build around the QB you have.” Schlereth also explains his philosophy on “boring wins championships” using Kyler Murray as an example, addresses whether the 49ers can still compete for a title by getting healthy at the right time, and discusses the Arizona Cardinals’ defensive game plan. This is essential listening for understanding the nuanced QB debate in San Francisco.

00:00 – Opening: “The Offense Is More Dynamic With Brock Purdy”
01:00 – Why the 49ers Lack a Receiver Who Puts Fear Into Defenses
02:30 – Schlereth on Mac vs Brock: “You CAN Lose Your Job to Injury”
03:30 – Brock’s Athleticism & Escapability vs Mac’s Efficiency
04:30 – Arizona Defense Poses Real Problems for 49ers
05:30 – Can the Offense Outscore Teams and Make a Playoff Push?
06:30 – “Get Healthy at the Right Time” — Championship Window Still Open?
08:00 – Kyler Murray & the Cardinals: “Boring Wins Championships”
09:30 – The Patrick Mahomes Reality: There’s Only One Unicorn
10:30 – Building Around a Really Good QB vs Searching for Great
11:30 – Final Thoughts: Mitigating Weaknesses Wins Championships

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