LAS VEGAS — In the 2022 NFL Draft, 261 players — including eight other quarterbacks — were chosen before the San Francisco 49ers selected Brock Purdy. Just 21 months later, Purdy has gone 21-5 as the 49ers’ starter, been to back-to-back NFC title games, and will become the first Mr. Irrelevant to start a Super Bowl in NFL history when he faces the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
While Taylor Swift may have generated the most questions during Monday’s Super Bowl Opening Night, Purdy might’ve come in a close second.
Brock Purdy Was the Talk of Super Bowl Opening Night
Nearly everyone was asked about Purdy on Opening Night, including 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, whose scheme helped the Iowa State product to throw for 4,280 yards and 31 touchdowns while finishing first in net yards per attempt, TD rate, QB rating, and EPA (Expected Points Added) per play.
“We had a fourth-round grade on (Purdy),” Shanahan said. “But you always try to predict when a guy’s gonna get taken, and we knew there was a chance he wouldn’t get drafted.
“We had a lot of holes we felt we had to (fill) in the draft, and quarterback wasn’t one of them at the time. If we needed him (entering 2022), we would’ve done it in the fourth.”
Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo suffered injuries during the 2022 campaign, forcing Purdy to step in as the club’s starter. He went undefeated before tearing his ACL in an eventual NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
49ers quarterbacks coach Brian Griese left ESPN to join Shanahan’s staff heading into the 2022 season. He didn’t expect to be coaching Purdy as San Francisco’s starter, but Griese was impressed by the rookie QB from Day 1.
“The first game he ever played in he was thrown in there, Jimmy gets hurt,” Griese said. “We’re playing the Miami Dolphins, and Miami is a very aggressive team that brought a lot of pressure, a lot of blitz. And it was probably the most difficult situation for a rookie quarterback to come into.
“And I was blown away by the fact that a) he didn’t completely melt and b) that he was able to handle that immense pressure and still get the ball where it was supposed to go. And he made some throws in that game that told us there’s no pressure in this kid. And you could see the understanding start to grow.”
Patrick Mahomes hopes to be on the winning side of Super Bowl 58, but the Chiefs’ quarterback had praise for Purdy, too.
MORE: Patrick Mahomes Embraces ‘Villain’ Role As He Looks To Win His Third Super Bowl
“He does a great job extending plays. He does a great job making the throws. And he’s a winner,” Mahomes said of Purdy.
“I didn’t play him when he was at Iowa State. But when he was at Iowa State, he played against my (Texas Tech) Red Raiders. He was winning. He’s always been a winner. And that’s what it takes in this league. It’s not always the flashy plays. It’s, ‘Can you go out there and win?’ And he does both the flashy and he wins football games.”
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