49ers rookie quarterback, Brock Purdy, has impressed with his mental capabilities since becoming the starter under center. However, 49ers radio play-by-play commentator Greg Papa believes Purdy also is flashing another underrated skill.
Papa noted on the latest episode of "49ers Talk," that while Purdy isn't the fastest quarterback on the ground, the Iowa State product is putting his athleticism on display.
"I knew he was decisive and I knew he was accurate and cerebral and he'd handle everything at the line," Papa told NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco. "But it's the athleticism, the make-you-miss ability.
"He runs a 4.84 [40-yard dash], which is not horrible for a quarterback, but it's not Lamar Jackson, Justin Fields, the elite guys today, Trey Lance. But his 10-yard split in the first 10 [yards] of the 40 is a 1.55. That is 95th percentile for quarterbacks; that is short-area quickness that makes you miss."
Purdy's poise has been applauded since taking over for veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who suffered a broken foot against the Miami Dolphins in Week 13. Nonetheless, the 23-year-old shows he can use his legs to prolong a play.
Additionally, Papa believes that the 49ers' starting quarterback has the qualities to hold onto the job heading into the 2023 NFL season.
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"When you look at him, he has total command. Scripted, unscripted, tough on the road in a hostile environment," Papa said in December. "What more does he have to prove than to just go do it over a body of work of a career? I can't think of anything he's weak at. He's smaller; he does not have Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes' elite throwing arm, but he's got enough of an arm. That does not mean he won't have bad games."
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Purdy and the 49ers will look to head into the playoffs on a high note when they face off against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on Sunday in the regular-season finale.