Brock Purdy has received plenty of plaudits since exploding onto the scene late last season, but 49ers great Steve Young recently delivered arguably the most effusive and most interesting appraisal of the young quarterback to date.

Purdy, assuming he recovers from elbow surgery in time to feature for the 49ers in the season opener, will almost certainly be the starting quarterback for San Francisco in Week 1 against the Steelers.

The final pick of last year's draft will be tasked with reproducing the performance levels that helped the 49ers lead the NFL in Expected Points Added per play over his five regular-season starts last year over the course of a full campaign.

Hall of Famer Young is in no doubt Purdy has what it takes to do so, and relied on a 'Star Wars' reference to praise a particular part of his game.

Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area, Young said of Purdy:

“There’s a processing. I call it ‘the Force’ — a Star Wars analogy. Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s something you can’t describe. It’s just someone has the force.Quarterbacking is that way. When I see someone who has ‘the Force,’ I don’t know how to tell you all the intricacies at what makes that. You can just tell. Brock had it so thick. It’s like Luke Skywalker — right away, he had it. He’s not the biggest guy. He’s not the fastest guy, he’s not the strongest arm. But he has the Force, and maybe as strong as anybody who’s played.”

Purdy's ability to process quickly was evident throughout his time as the starter last year. He consistently delivered the ball with impressive decisiveness, a trait Kyle Shanahan demands of his quarterbacks above all others.

Maintaining that 'see it, throw it' approach with success will be critical for Purdy's hopes of continuing to excel in his first full season as the starter.

Even in a Shanahan offense in which receivers are constantly schemed into open space, it may prove more difficult in 2023 for Purdy to deliver with such authority. Teams now have considerable tape on Purdy and will have had time to study him and devise plans on how to potentially confuse him.

In that sense, an opener in Pittsburgh against a Steelers defense that remains an extremely tough opponent — the Steelers finished 10th in weighted DVOA on defense last season —will be an excellent test of Purdy's progress.

But if the force remains strong with Purdy and he continues to attack defenses with confidence and produce positive results, then belief that he is the long-term solution under center will only continue to grow.

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