Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is clearly a huge fan of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

Spagnuolo was effusive in his praise of Purdy before the Chiefs' Super Bowl 58 win over the 49ers, and his opinion of the San Francisco signal-caller has only grown off the back of his performance in Las Vegas.

Purdy produced an impressive effort in going toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes on the biggest stage, completing 23 of 38 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown in the Niners' 25-22 overtime loss.

Those might not have been the most spectacular numbers. However, facing a defense that succeeded in generating consistent pressure and excelled playing man coverage, Purdy's poise and ability to avoid turnovers was extremely admirable.  

And it led Spagnuolo, the brain behind the Chiefs' superb defensive performance in the regular season and the playoffs, to go the extra mile to lend a kind word to Purdy.

Speaking on 'The Season with Peter Schrager', Spagnuolo said of Purdy: "I think Brock Purdy, he's just terrific. We played Tua, we played Josh Allen, we played Lamar Jackson, you've got to worry about those guys always running the football. 

"Now it's gonna be San Francisco, we haven't watched a lot of film with them, so I don't really know them. Ok, it's a backup quarterback, maybe he's not a runner, maybe we can get a little break here, I turn the film on and he's ripping Green Bay and Detroit with the run plays. I said 'ok, here we go again, here's another one'.

"I just texted Brock the other day, I tried to track down his cell number. I just wanted to tell him how much respect I have for him and what a terrific game he played. He's such a quality guy, strong Christian man, and I respect all of that but I'm happy for all his success."

It's a high-class gesture from Spagnuolo, and it illustrates that, while many observers have had their doubts about Purdy, those in the league are sold. The 49ers may not have got over the line, but their quarterback's stock continues to rise. If he continues on the same trajectory, the 49ers can continue to be extremely excited about their future.

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