San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy is 7-0 as a starter. You can even throw in his first extended action if you want, taking over for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo during Week 13 and leading the team to a dominating win over the Miami Dolphins.
Purdy's toughest task quickly approaches. The 49ers are boarding a plane to Philadelphia, where they will face the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field. Before the team headed to the airport, Purdy spoke with reporters and was as calm and poised as always. That's because, as was the case in his previous eight games, the 23-year-old quarterback knows he doesn't have to face the upcoming challenge alone.
"That's been the blessing of playing on this team, with the amount of experience and veterans that we have," Purdy explained, "knowing that I've just got to go out, do my job, get the ball to [RB] Christian [McCaffrey], [TE] George [Kittle], trust in [T Mike] McGlinchey and [T] Trent [Williams] to block, and all the boys up front. You know, hand the ball off, let our run game do its thing.
"It's not like, 'Man, I've got to do every little thing perfect.' I can go and play my game, do what I'm asked of, and get everyone the ball, and let them make plays, and let our defense do their thing. I have a great team around me, and I know that, and like I said, it's a blessing."
In addition to those star players, Purdy has playmakers like wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk as potential targets. He has the best fullback in the league in Kyle Juszczyk. That strong supporting cast has made the jump from one-time QB3 to the starting lineup easier.
"I'm trying to do my best to stay level-headed and trust that I've got guys around me to help. It's not just all on me," the rookie added.
Purdy is one of five rookie quarterbacks to start in a conference championship game. He can become the first to reach a Super Bowl.
"There's definitely been times in the game where things are going well, and you think, Man, this isn't that bad, but then you get humbled real quick," Purdy said when asked about the lessons he has learned during his NFL journey. "I think there's some good lessons that I've learned so far where you think things are going well, and you have to just stay even-keeled. You've got to go play another drive, and another possession, and another quarter.
"It's the NFL. Everyone is good. It doesn't matter how good you feel going into a new game, you can get humbled real quick. [Head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] told me about that recently, and I feel like it's definitely stood out to me."