Shanahan Compares Burrow To John Elway
Oct 1, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan walks off the field after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
The Bengals are entering one of their toughest matchups of the season on Sunday as they head to Levi Stadium in San Fransisco to take on the hungry 49ers. Back to back losses and Brock Purdy’s injury have put the Niners off-kilter and scrambling, but any time a Kyle Shanahan led team takes the field, it’s wise to be prepared for a battle.
As the Niners prepare, they are very aware of what they’re facing, especially when it comes to the Bengals revered quarterback. Speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area, Shanahan joined the long list of luminaries who have now heaped praise on Joe Burrow.
“One of the best,” Shanahan told the affiliate. “That’s why he went first in the draft. It’s his throwing with his size too. He’s a guy who could sit in there, hold on to the ball for a while, and really let plays develop and get the ball downfield with no room, and he’s got the best receivers for that. So you can’t ever go to sleep on him. and there’s going to be times where he’s not going to pick you apart because he’s going to look for that big play.”
The respected coach wasn’t done. He went on to put Burrow’s name next to one of the greatest ever, John Elway.
“You could stop them a couple of drives in a row and then just like that, it’s just explosives left that left and right so reminds me of Elway in that manner where it’s just different than last week where they’re just totally taken what they give you, sometimes they’ll do that you can see him in games, but a lot of times he’s gonna sit there and wait for the big one and that’s why you can never go to sleep on their offense.”
Although Shanahan’s remarks come as no surprise, given the defense that San Francisco possesses, the Bengals star will likely need an Elway like performance on Sunday to elevate his team and give them an opportunity to pull off the upset.
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