Cosell explains why Shanahan not to blame for Purdy injury originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
After Brock Purdy suffered a devastating injury during the NFC Championship Game, some pointed the finger at 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan for calling the play that got his rookie quarterback hurt.
And while NFL Films producer Greg Cosell understands that’s an easy thing to do, he stopped by Super Bowl LVII’s Radio Row in Phoenix last week and shared why Shanahan’s choice wasn’t “stupid.”
“That was a shot play, and every team has tight ends block pass rushers. That’s not uncommon,” Cosell told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco and Jennifer Lee Chan for the latest episode of “49ers Talk.” “Now, because the result of that play was obviously not only negative in terms of a sack or whatever it was, but a potential loss of a season for Brock Purdy … That’s easy to rip.”
Purdy sustained a torn right UCL when Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick tore past 49ers backup tight end Tyler Kroft to sack the quarterback. The 23-year-old dropped back and was in the process of firing a deep pass off play-action, but Reddick hit his elbow and stripped him of the ball before he could do so.
Purdy will undergo surgery to repair his torn ligament on Feb. 22, and he was one of four San Francisco quarterbacks to exit a game with injury during the 2022 NFL regular season and playoffs.
“Can you sit here and say, as an abstraction, that you don’t want Tyler Kroft blocking Haason Reddick?” Cosell said. “Yes, of course you can, and I get that and that’s fine.
“But Shanahan’s not the only guy that’s done that. I’ve seen it on tape every week, and it works. And I’m being honest, I don’t know what else to say about it. It didn’t work [for the 49ers], so it looks really bad. But it’s not because Kyle Shanahan is stupid.”
Purdy’s teammates also defended Shanahan in the week after the NFC title game, with George Kittle defending Kroft’s ability to block on the play.
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