San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Chiefs backup Gabbert has a deep appreciation for Purdy
LAS VEGAS — Blaine Gabbert, the latest in a long line of quarterbacks to play for both of Sunday’s participants in Super Bowl LVIII, is among the many who have been wowed by San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy.
Gabbert, 34, who played for the 49ers from 2014 through ’16, has a deeper appreciation than most based on his understanding of the 49ers’ offense. The Chiefs’ backup QB played for the Titans in 2018 when Matt LaFleur, the Packers’ head coach and a Kyle Shanahan disciple, was Tennessee’s offensive coordinator.
Based on what he learned that season, Gabbert has been particularly impressed by an intermediate, over-the-middle throw Purdy routinely completes that’s a staple of Shanahan’s offense. The throw, which typically is tied to play-action, often requires Purdy to fit passes over linebackers and in front of safeties to pass catchers running free in small spaces.
“Brock has just done a beautiful job executing it at the highest level,” Gabbert said. “It’s a reason the 49ers are in the Super Bowl playing us.”
Gabbert is one of seven QBs to play for the 49ers and Chiefs. The others: Joe Montana, Alex Smith, Steve Bono, Elvis Grbac, Steve DeBerg and Bob Gagliano.
Gabbert will become the first member of that group to earn a Super Bowl ring with the Chiefs
Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle if Kansas City wins Sunday. Montana, Bono and Grbac won titles with the 49ers.
Williams’ gesture: Left tackle Trent Williams stays connected to his alma mater, Longview High School in Texas, through more than his annual football camp there. Williams also finances electrocardiogram screening every year for about 100 incoming players.
Those exams uncovered heart issues with three students in the past three years, according to John King, the school’s athletic director and longtime coach. That prompted all three players to undergo a procedure that allowed them to keep playing football, King said, and might have saved their lives.
“That was really all I thought about, just trying to save lives because it’s such a niche and a lot of schools don’t have the funds to afford it,” Williams said. “I didn’t want my high school to worry about that if I could help, so that’s one of the things I started doing.” Thanks, coach: Wide receiver Deebo Samuel’s high school coach will watch his former pupil play Sunday on a 98-inch bigscreen television gifted to him this week by Samuel. Samuel gave the TCL TV to Mark Hodge, who has remained close with Samuel since he coached him at Chapman High School in Inman, S.C. Samuel has FaceTimed with Hodge before games throughout his college career at South Carolina and the
NFL and is close with his family.
Hodge’s young daughter, Ruthie, dressed as Samuel for Halloween when he played for the Gamecocks.
Injury report: Backup defensive tackle Kalia Davis was the only player on the 49ers’ final injury report. Davis is questionable for Sunday’s game because of an ankle injury. K.C. All-Pro left guard Joe Thuney was ruled out and running back Jerick McKinnon (groin) is questionable. Head coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that McKinnon had a “slim” chance to play.
Potential party: Shanahan, a 20-season NFL coaching veteran, is planning a lengthy party spree if his long-awaited wait for a title ends Sunday.
“I haven’t thought about that,” Shanahan said when asked how he would celebrate. “But I’ll do it for a while. It won’t just be one night.”