Kyle Shanahan didn't hesitate to refute the claim that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's success is solely a product of his system.
The 49ers coach's defense later was backed by general manager John Lynch.
"Brock Purdy has shown himself to be a really good quarterback, and he's shown it every week," Lynch said Friday morning on KNBR's "Murph and Mac" show (h/t 49ers Webzone). "I mean, it's been very consistent. And I don't even think we need to defend that because you look at the numbers, you talk to people who know football, he's for real. We've got a ton of belief in him. We're better with him. And you see it every day.
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"It's not like just a flash-in-the-pan thing. It's consistency. He's a machine, and I think he's continuing to get better, and that's an exciting thing for us. He handles everything so well. What a godsend he was to this organization. And just his approach, the way he goes about things, trying to get a little bit better each day, the preparation he does, it's hard to hang with our head coach and our offensive system."
Since emerging as the 49ers' starter last season, Purdy has yet to lose a game, regular season or playoffs, that he has started and finished. He's helped lead San Francisco to a flawless 4-0 record, joining the Philadelphia Eagles as the only two undefeated teams in 2023.
Purdy hopes to extend the win streak to five on Sunday when the 49ers meet their match in a clash with the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium.
On the other side of the field, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and his squad are trying to figure out a way to stop Purdy and snap their longtime rival's win streak. But even though McCarthy is plotting against Purdy and the 49ers, the coach can appreciate what Purdy has accomplished in his short time in the league.
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And McCarthy, too, disagreed with the claim that the 23-year-old is a system quarterback.
“The reality of sports and the relationship between players and coaches, coaches are supposed to ask the players what they do best, and they fit it into the realm of the offense and defense,” McCarthy said Friday on 105.3 The Fan. “I think it’s definitely a potential slight to the young man, but it’s not like he’s running a very basic system. He runs a system that’s high-octane as far as the movements and what they ask him to do.
“The ability to play that fast, there are just a lot of hidden variables that should be more appreciated for the position of quarterback. So I never really cared for the system quarterback (label), because it doesn’t tell the whole story.”
McCarthy added that Purdy is "totally engaged" in the offense and looks like he's been running it for years.
Shanahan originally was asked about the narrative on Wednesday, to which he responded was a "ridiculous" claim.
Clearly, whichever side of the narrative you believe, it seems to be working out just fine for Purdy and the 49ers.