49ers Brock Purdy offers edge at QB vs all but NFLs most elite passers
There may not be a more improbable quarterback story in NFL history than Brock Purdy’s.He was the 262nd and final selection of the 2022 draft — the player annually handed the Mr.
Irrelevant label — and opened his rookie season buried behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.He was not drafted to save the 49ers.He was barely expected to play.Then both quarterbacks ahead of him were injured, Purdy stepped into the huddle and the franchise’s trajectory changed.
He won his first 10 regular-season starts, helped carry San Francisco to the NFC Championship game as a rookie and returned from a major elbow injury the following season to lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl.Along the way, he set the franchise’s single-season passing yardage record, led the NFL in passer rating and earned a Pro Bowl selection.This is no longer a cute Mr.
Irrelevant story or a temporary hot streak powered entirely by Kyle Shanahan’s system.Purdy has started 45 regular-season games, won 30 of them and added five playoff victories.
He has become the stabilizing force at the center of everything the 49ers want to be: efficient, aggressive, connected and capable of competing for a championship.Last season offered another reminder of his importance.Purdy was limited to nine games after suffering a turf toe injury in the opener, and San Francisco went 7-2 when he started.
Mac Jones deserves considerable credit for going 5-3 in Purdy’s absence and helping the 49ers reach 12 victories.He kept their season afloat.
But there is a difference between surviving without Purdy and reaching their ceiling with him.With Purdy, the offense operates with greater rhythm, conviction and big-play potential.Without him, the margin for error narrows, and the 49ers become more dependent on their supporting cast and Shanahan’s ability to manufacture answers.
Jones proved San Francisco could still win without its starter.The larger question is whether the 49ers can win everything without him.
The answer ...