Chiefs coach texts Brock Purdy directly after shattering his dreams
Brock Purdy saw his dream of winning the Super Bowl go up in smoke roughly two weeks ago as Patrick Mahomes delivered the game-winning check-down pass to Mecole Hardman at Super Bowl 58.
Speaking in an interview with NFL insider Peter Schrager, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said that he had a private conversation with Purdy:
“I'll be honest with you. I just texted Brock [Purdy] the other day. I tried to track down his number. I just wanted to tell him how much respect I have for him. What a terrific game he played. He’s such a quality guy, strong Christian man, and I respect him.”
Spaguolo and his team may have ripped a Super Bowl ring out of Purdy's hands, but sending a positive text later demonstrates sportsmanship on the part of the defensive coordinator.
Brock Purdy outplays Patrick Mahomes in one key statistic
Brock Purdy put on a show more competitive than many quarterbacks have in Super Bowl history. There are countless examples of players shrinking in the moment, leading to blowout losses. Purdy didn't do that. Some may argue it was back-to-back years in which the losing Super Bowl quarterback outplayed Mahomes.
Jalen Hurts received many such compliments following Super Bowl 57 at the end of the 2022 season. In Super Bowl 58, Mahomes had a costly interception on his side of the field while Purdy had no turnovers for the entire game. The Chiefs quarterback got the edge in total yards (333 to 255) and passing touchdowns (two to one).
That said, had the 49ers' defense held on to their three-point lead or had Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it on fourth down near the end of the possession, Purdy's stat line in those categories would have looked much closer.
Instead, Brock Purdy heads into the offseason with what is likely a long list of regrets about what could have been different in the biggest game of his life, hoping to end the 2024 season with a Lombardi Trophy.
Will Jimmy Garoppolo's successor be able to do what Garoppolo could not?