Heading into the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers saw potential in rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, who prepared and competed like a guy who has been in the league for years. Still, no one could have predicted what the 23-year-old would do in his first NFL season.
The 49ers lost starter Trey Lance to an ankle injury in Week 2. Then, Jimmy Garoppolo went down with a foot injury in Week 13, setting the stage for one of the most intriguing storylines of the season.
Purdy took over for Garoppolo, and the 49ers offense hasn't skipped a beat. In fact, production improved with the rookie under center. Yes, Purdy's teammates trusted the youngster, but he still had to go out onto the football field and prove it.
Purdy played most of that Week 13 contest against the Miami Dolphins and led the 49ers to a win. Then, he rattled off six more consecutive wins, including this past weekend's 41-23 playoff win over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks.
"Did we know it would go as well as it has? Absolutely not," general manager John Lynch admitted in December, after Purdy and the 49ers knocked off Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The rookie quarterback's impressive play didn't stop there. Since taking over for Garoppolo, Purdy has completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,640 yards, 16 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, and added two rushing touchdowns, including the playoff win against Seattle. There is no doubt that Purdy's teammates believe they can go far with the rookie quarterback.
"At this level, a great story is made because everything's earned," Lynch said Thursday on KNBR's Tolbert & Copes show. "Trust, confidence, all those things only happen when people earn them, and Brock has done a tremendous job. That's why when everyone asks, it's like from day one, he started earning that trust, and he's only magnified that in the way—in the big moments, he's handled it even more so.
"We feel really good with Brock. He's got a lot of weapons at his disposal, but you still have to do it. You still have to distribute. And then on top of it, I think we've seen he's got some play-making to him. He can extend plays. So there is a lot of confidence, and a credit to Brock, that has been earned 100 percent."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Lynch below.