York was caught off guard by Shanahan’s initial Purdy prediction

SANTA CLARA — The 49ers were approximately one week into training camp in the summer of 2022 when coach Kyle Shanahan approached CEO Jed York. "He grabs me after practice and says, 'We got to talk,'" York said on Thursday. "And that's generally not a good thing when your coach tells you, 'We got to talk.'" Shanahan's message to York foreshadowed one of the great stories in NFL history — the sudden rise of the final pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to a player leading his team into the Super Bowl less than two years later. "I think our third-string quarterback is our best quarterback," Shanahan told York, referring to little-known former Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy. In his second season, Purdy was an NFL MVP candidate and is one of the major reasons the 49ers will play in Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs. But when York first heard Purdy had great potential, it caught him more than a little off-guard. At that point, Purdy was third on the 49ers' depth chart behind Trey Lance and Nate Sudfeld. Later, the 49ers agreed to a new deal to retain Jimmy Garoppolo. Sudfeld was released, Purdy remained on the 53-man roster to open the season as the third...