NFC Notes: Klint Kubiak, Brock Purdy, Geno Smith, 49ers, Seahawks

49ers

The 49ers finished a disappointing 2024 season with a 6-11 record in last place of the NFC West. Owner Jed York said their recent results haven’t shaken his trust in HC Kyle Shanahan and GM John Lynch. 

“There’s so much work before you get to that point,” York said. “Obviously it started at the end of the season to get this thing ready and get this thing right and get this thing back on track. There’s no one that I respect more and trust more than John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan to get us back on track.”

Brock Purdy is also set to enter the last year of his rookie contract. York said they will do “everything we can” to keep Purdy in San Francisco. 

“I know we want Brock to be here for a long time and we’ll do everything we can to make that work,” York said. “Brock is just a tremendous human being. I’m looking forward to a long-term partnership.”

• Albert Breer of SI notes that the team is going to do what they can to re-sign Purdy, yet the core of players around him could look different. 
• Breer mentions that the team could also have some key pieces on defense depart in free agency due to the prices they could command such as LB Dre Greenlaw and CB Charvarius Ward.

Seahawks

• Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald on new OC Klint Kubiak: “Klint has a really great vision for where he wants our offense to go. Was very clear with that, with the personnel we have on our roster, and we’ll talk about it as we go here, but I definitely believe that aligns with how we want to rock.” (Curtis Crabtree)
• Kubiak says being able to coach QB Geno Smith was a huge draw in his coming to Seattle. (Michael-Shawn Dugar)
• Kubiak on Smith: “He’s tough as nails…That’s a guy that I want to coach.” (John Boyle)
• Kubiak on WR DK Metcalf: “A lot of great skill to work with. Extremely excited to work with him. His physical presence brings a lot to our offense.” (Aaron Levine)
• Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker was also mentioned by Kubiak: “He can fit in any style. Very excited in this zone scheme. Whatever we can do to get him touches (screens, etc)… he’s got a group of teammates that complement him well.” (Levine)

Seahawks

There have been looming questions about Geno Smith given he’s entering the final year of his contract and playing well below market value at $25 million. New OC Klint Kubiak said Smith was a “huge draw” in his decision to sign with Seattle this offseason and they have “high expectations” for the veteran quarterback. 

“Geno is a very impressive player; he’s had a lot of production,” Kubiak said, via John Boyle of the team’s site. “Obviously he’s been doing it for a long time, he’s overcome a lot in his career. I have a lot of respect for Geno. It was a huge draw to come here and be able to coach him alongside (quarterbacks coach) Andrew Janocko. We have high expectations for him, we’re going to push Geno and get the best out of him, and we’ll do that by pushing his teammates as well. It’s not just his show, it’s a team thing, and he’s got to be the head of that.”

Kubiak mentions how Smith has proven successful in critical situations. 

“I think Geno is tough as nails,” Kubiak said. “You look at the guy in the fourth quarter, and he goes and wins football games. That excites me, it fires me up. I’ve watched his career, studying it more now than I ever have before, but you think about a guy who has been through a lot of adversity and a guy who’s been knocked off the high horse and had to claw his way back into the starter’s role. Then he comes back the last two years and wins more games in the fourth quarter than anybody in the NFL. That’s a guy I want to coach.”

Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald said Kubiak’s system requires attention to detail. 

“I think there’s a lot of clarity in what we’re trying to do, there’s a lot of detail,” Macdonald said. “They’ve kind of lived through all the things that can happen to the quarterback, so it’s very clean in terms of progressions. And I think there’s an accountability factor for the whole football team. We’ve all got to play on the same accord, we have to be in the right spot when we need to be there, the ball needs to be out on time, and the protection all works hand in hand. It’s going to take everybody, but it’s a very clear vision and detailed on how we need to get there.”