Starting 16 games and playing like one of the best QBs in the NFL, Brock Purdy has been at the top of his game in 2023.
However, what we’ve seen from him this season may never have been. The San Francisco 49ers had enough interest in a certain retired quarterback in the offseason that Purdy may never have been the starter.
Brock Purdy Says the 49ers Pursued Tom Brady
Head coach Kyle Shanahan had revealed to Purdy early in the offseason that he would be the starter if he was healthy. Purdy tore his UCL in the elbow of his throwing arm in last year’s NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. His recovery timescale was uncertain, but he was expected to be ready by the start of the season.
Purdy was more than ready. He entered camp with the world expecting him to compete for a starting spot with Sam Darnold and Trey Lance. Yet, everyone ultimately expected the starting job to be Purdy’s. That included Shanahan, who had spoken to Purdy about the 49ers’ QB situation in the offseason.
The starting job was his, and Purdy told ESPN, “That meant so much to me.”
No one can argue he didn’t deserve it. Entering the lineup in 2022, Purdy went 5-0 as a starter in his rookie year and reached the NFC Championship.
However, there was a caveat as to whether Purdy retained the starting role. He was getting competition from another QB, but it wasn’t Darnold or Lance as expected.
No, it was Tom Brady.
Purdy dropped a bombshell saying, “I remember [Shanahan] saying, if we can get Tom Brady, we’re going to try to get him. And I was like, Yeah, he’s the GOAT. I get it.”
Would Brady Have Taken the Job?
This revelation spins everything we knew about San Francisco’s QB situation this offseason on its head. Brady retired in February 2023, so the consideration for him had to be after his official retirement announcement.
We don’t know if the 49ers ever held meaningful conversions with Brady or his team, or if he would have even entertained the thought of returning. However, the sheer thought of pursuing him casts some doubt in the conviction San Francisco had in their existing room.
Brady has a love-hate relationship with the 49ers. They were his childhood team, but he never forgave the Niners for passing on him in the NFL Draft. It’s a grudge he seems to still keep, as he opted to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 over San Francisco.
Purdy understood what pursuing the greatest quarterback of all time meant. But he wasn’t happy. He felt he had shown enough the previous season to be given complete faith in his abilities.
Purdy said, “But something deep down inside me was sort of like, ‘Dude, I just showed you that I can play well in this system. And we were one game away from the Super Bowl.’ … More than anything, I was like, ‘OK, now let’s go.’”
Playing at a near MVP level in 2023, Purdy has shown everything he can. Entering as the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, he has played well above expectations and on a ridiculously cheap rookie contract.
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There is, however, room for Purdy to grow. He isn’t the perfect prospect. His display in the 2023 Divisional Round showed that, but ultimately, his competitive spirit shone through as he rallied in the fourth quarter to drag the Niners over the line.
Teams think waving the magic Tom Brady wand will instantly fix all their problems. However, Purdy’s contract allows San Francisco to do so many things with their cap that, for now, makes him a perfect fit for this team.
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