Brock Purdy found himself contemplating free-agent plans as the 2022 NFL Draft inched closer to an end. It looked like he wouldn't get selected, and the former Iowa State quarterback evaluated his options.
The unforeseen happened when the San Francisco 49ers selected Purdy as the last overall pick, number 262, altering the course of the franchise in ways no one could have predicted.
Entering the 2022 season buried on the depth chart, Purdy, with a firm belief in his potential as an NFL quarterback, dedicated himself to preparing each game as if he were going to start. His opportunity to play significant snaps arrived during a Week 13 game against the Miami Dolphins after the 49ers lost their second starting quarterback of the season.
Since then, Purdy has started every game. Now, for the second consecutive season, the young quarterback has his talented 49ers in the playoffs, ready to compete for a Super Bowl.
What if general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan hadn't made that call as the draft concluded? Would Purdy have opted to sign with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent? Perhaps. But the quarterback could have just as easily ended up elsewhere.
"My agent and I had been calling, sort of towards the end of the seventh round, trying to decide where exactly I could go, situationally, with quarterbacks and depth charts and all that kind of stuff," Purdy recently said in a conversation with Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Purdy and his agent aimed to identify the best landing spot. They wanted to determine which teams were genuinely interested in him and which just sought an offseason arm for OTAs, minicamps, and training camp.
"So we didn't really make a full decision," Purdy admitted. "We were going to right after the draft ended. And then, sure enough, John Lynch called, and I got drafted. So I had no choice but to come here. But I was very thankful how it all ended up."
49ers fans are equally grateful.
