When the San Francisco 49ers selected quarterback Brock Purdy with the final pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of Iowa State, they didn’t know they were getting their future starting quarterback. In fact, Purdy was the fourth quarterback on the depth chart at the time behind Jimmy Garoppolo, 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance and Nate Sudfeld.
However, after Sudfeld was cut out of camp and both Garoppolo and Lance suffered injuries, the former Cyclones quarterback ascended to starter, becoming the first Mr. Irrelevant to start an NFL game.
Since then, Purdy’s completed 67.5% of his passes for 9,518 yards, 64 touchdowns and 27 interceptions while leading his team to a 27-15 record in his 42 starts, including the postseason. He’s brought the team to two Super Bowls and made the Pro Bowl.
“Before the first preseason game, we’re at practice ends and we come in and I could see Fred [Warner] talking to Trent [Williams],” Purdy told former NFL studs Will Compton and Taylor Lewan on the “Bussin’ with the Boys” podcast. “For some reason I saw them talking, and I saw Fred say ‘I can’t wait to watch this Purdy kid at the preseason game tomorrow against the Packers.’ At this point my head was down and just trying to do good at practice and all that. But I was like all right they are noticing. The starters, the guys, they’re seeing something.”
At that point, Williams was entering his 13th season and already had nine Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections to his name while Warner was entering his fifth and was a one-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro. Drawing respect from and impressing a two of the team’s best was no small feat for Purdy.
They were ultimately right, as Purdy is the only quarterback from that room still starting, with Garoppolo serving as the backup with the Los Angeles Rams, Lance holding down the third-string job with the Los Angeles Chargers and Sudfeld failing to catch on with a team after spending last offseason with the Detroit Lions.
Purdy received a massive five-year, $265 million contract this offseason, and now the pressure is amped up even more for him to lead the team to success. After a few years starting, he still has the support of his teammates before he steps on the field.
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