SANTA CLARA — After the 49ers acquired Jimmy Garoppolo in a midseason trade in 2017, general manager John Lynch joked (or not) that coach Kyle Shanahan initially was in mourning.
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick delivered Garoppolo to the 49ers for a second-round draft pick.
The 49ers’ acquisition of Garoppolo meant the club no longer would pursue veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins upon the opening of the next free-agent signing period.
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Shanahan’s affinity for Cousins has been no secret for a long time.
On Saturday, Shanahan provided some insight into why he likes Cousins so much.
And at the same time, he divulged how current 49ers starter Brock Purdy compares favorably to the Minnesota Vikings’ 35-year-old quarterback ahead of their "Monday Night Football" clash.
Through the years, Shanahan has talked about Cousins' consistency. At times, he even uses the word “automatic.”
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Shanahan expounded on what he means when he uses those words to describe Cousins.
“It means when there's something prepared for, something you've talked about: ‘Hey, they run this coverage, we're doing this play for that coverage,’ ” Shanahan said. “When it's something like that and he gets the look that's something he's prepared for, he's going to see it every time and he's going to make the throw.”
Being able to see coverages and make decisions in real time is no simple task. Watching game video is one thing, but processing that information and delivering accurate passes on time is something completely different.
Many high-profile college quarterbacks are unable to process all that information when making the transition to the NFL.
And evaluating those quarterbacks who can do it is no easy feat, either.
“Everyone knows coverages and where it's supposed to go, but sometimes when you get in the heat of battle and in that pocket it's not always that way,” Shanahan said. “Sometimes it looks like there's a hundred guys out there. Sometimes you can't see it as clean. Most of the time you can is when you're sitting in your chair with a remote.”
Cousins, 35, is a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback. He leads the NFL with 14 touchdown passes this season. He is fourth among active quarterbacks in career passing yards (38,819) and touchdowns (266).
Shanahan quickly developed an appreciation for how Purdy has an ability to see the game clearly and deliver the ball accurately.
When asked how Purdy stacks up to Cousins in that area, Shanahan answered, “Extremely similar, yeah.”