You wouldn't expect the last player drafted to be in a situation where his performance can win or cost you a Super Bowl. But that's exactly the case for San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Brock Purdy. After becoming the 49ers starting QB in 2022, due to injuries to starter Trey Lance, and backup Jimmy Garoppolo, all Purdy has done is win. And even still, Purdy still has a plethora of critics who seem to be waiting for him to fail so they can announce how they said it first.
But Purdy has had an exceptional 2023 season, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl and breaking team passing records that have stood for years. He even made the Pro Bowl in his first full season as a starter. You can't undersell what Purdy has accomplished. It would be impressive if he had been the first overall pick. That he was the final pick of the 2022 draft makes it even more impressive and unlikely.
And that could be part of the motivation behind all the haters who have come out declaring Purdy as a game manager who is being carried by a team of stars. Whether it's former players, like Cam Newton, who are no longer relevant, or media types looking for attention, Purdy has continued to mute many of his critics. After the 49ers came back to win the NFC Championship, some of the critics like ESPN's Ryan Clark, admitted they were wrong.
Former NFL player and current analyst, Brian Baldinger, joined The Rich Eisen Show this week to discuss the Super Bowl. After going on about how difficult of a task it will be for the 49ers to stop Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs offense, Eisen and Balidinger turned their conversation to Purdy.
Baldinger said, "Well, we're going to put the spotlight on Brock Purdy and see if he bites the apple, Rich, as they like to say, or if he just plays, you know, just loose and carefree and just fearless. Because at the end of the day, I remember, like when Nick Foles won a Super Bowl with the Eagles here six years ago, Rich, like I said, okay, before that game is he's got to make five throws that are just absolute highlight throws.
"And when you go back and watch that shootout with [Tom] Brady, he had ten. He had ten that day, where you go, 'you can't throw it any better.' And they needed every one of those ten to win, including the Philly special."
In the Super Bowl that Baldinger was talking about, Foles and the Eagles were underdogs, playing against Brady and the New England Patriots. The Eagles likely would have been the underdogs regardless, but in this game, were playing without their starting QB Carson Wentz, who was out with an injury. Foles had easily the best game of his career, passing for 373 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a touchdown reception on a play that would become known as "The Philly Special."
Baldinger, no doubt referencing that Purdy lacks the elite talent as quarterbacks like Mahomes, believes the second-year signal caller will need to have an elite game to win the Super Bowl. According to Baldinger, Purdy will need to have at least five "absolute highlight throws" like Foles had, to be a Super Bowl Champion.
"And I feel like that's what Purdy is going to have to do," continued Baldinger. "We're going to have to see, at the end of this thing, we're going to see five throws where you go, 'I don't care if it was [Joe] Montana or [Steve] Young. He's on that stage with the guys that have won here before, and that's the level he's going to have to play at.'"
If Purdy can make the throws that bring the 49ers their sixth Super Bowl title, fans will surely include him among those legendary San Francisco QBs. Fortunately, Purdy doesn't have to do it alone. His defense, and the playmakers he has on offense, will be working along with him to bring home another Lombardi Trophy.