I’m so glad you asked.
At the moment, Brock Purdy is the quarterback upon whose shoulders the Super Bowl hopes of the San Francisco 49ers now rest.
On draft weekend back in April, the only reason Purdy wasn’t an afterthought was because he was a punchline instead.
As the final pick of the 2022 NFL draft, Purdy earned the storied moniker of “Mr. Irrelevant,” complete with his own joke of a jersey to commemorate the occasion.
Ask around Ames, Iowa, and you’ll find a lot of folks who already know how relevant Purdy can be when he’s behind center.
TD pass No. 2 for @brockpurdy13 🙌
📺: #MIAvsSF on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/8x9iTznJKd— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 4, 2022
Before he was pick No. 262, Purdy was a two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection at Iowa State. He left the Cyclones as the all-time leading passer in school history (both yards and touchdowns), owning the single-season marks in both categories, as well. In 2020, Purdy helped lead Iowa State to the Big 12 title game, and a Fiesta Bowl win over Oregon.
After the 49ers lost their second starting quarterback of the year to a season-ending injury, Purdy was thrust into the big chair in the middle of Sunday’s marquee matchup against the Miami Dolphins. All he did was complete 25 of his 37 pass attempts for 210 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 33-17 victory.
Losing both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo might have been a death knell for many other teams in the league. But thanks to a dominant defense, and an offense loaded with dynamic playmakers, the 49ers have the kind of supporting cast that can propel them to a deep playoff run.
I’d say that makes Purdy anything but irrelevant.
