Brock Purdy having the success that he did this season brings back memories of another quarterback drafted late. He goes by name of Tom Brady, and we all know his story. In his rookie season, after being the infamous Mr. Irrelevant, Purdy was thrust into the starting role. He had unparalleled success and is already the best player ever drafted with the final pick in the annual NFL Draft.
Brock Purdy Should Remain the 49ers Starting Quarterback
High School
As shown on NCAA.com, as a senior in high school, Brock Purdy led his team all the way to the state championship game. They lost the game, but on the season, he threw for over 4,400 yards on the season and 57 touchdowns. If that wasn’t enough, he also rushed for 1,100 yards and 10 more touchdowns. Hard to believe he was only a three-star recruit coming out of high school. As we all know, he chose Iowa State among what offers he received, undoubtedly to have the opportunity to start.
College
Also from NCAA.com, he started for four years at Iowa State. He may not have gotten national recognition like some of the other players of his time for a multitude of reasons. For one, the school he played for was not a national power in the CFP. He also played at the same time as Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and many others that were taking the NCAA by storm. In his four-year career in college though, between passing and rushing he did account for 100 touchdowns. Statistically, he had some pretty solid seasons that all flew under the radar for the above-mentioned reasons right into the draft.
NFL
As has been made public, the San Francisco 49ers drafted him with the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The last pick is known as Mr. Irrelevant. He was also in a crowded quarterback room with two other quarterbacks that can, and should, both be starters. Trey Lance entered the season as the 49ers starter and went down early in the season. Once Lance went down, Jimmy Garoppolo came in and started for them, the season was going well for San Francisco, and they were headed towards the playoffs when Garoppolo went down. This forced San Francisco to turn to the rookie, last pick in the NFL draft, Purdy. Most fans were scared and thought the season was over for San Francisco. Little did they know just how well he would play. With Purdy in at quarterback the 49ers looked stronger and even better.
Purdy just kept winning, every single game that he started and drove the 49ers all the way to the NFC Championship game without losing a single start. He looked poised under pressure, understood the offense and his reads and just kept producing. In the NFC Championship game, the unthinkable happened when Purdy went down with an injury and San Francisco had to go back to the well with their recently signed backup. It was obvious they pulled Purdy because he had no strength to throw the ball. Sadly, the other backup also got hurt and Purdy was forced back in without any ability to throw downfield. It was a sad end to the season, but no one can question his toughness.
Looking Ahead
Purdy will undergo surgery to repair his UCL in the offseason and may miss some or even all of training camp. When he gets back and there is a quarterback competition with Trey Lance, Purdy should already have the leg up in this race. Of the two, Purdy is the only one who has been able to perform at a very high level and win games for the team. This should not be a controversy – Purdy is the QB1 San Francisco needs.
Main Photo: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
