Brock Purdy has defied the odds. As the last overall pick in the 2022 draft, the young San Francisco 49ers quarterback was a relative unknown, determined to prove his worth. Initially buried on the depth chart, Purdy had few opportunities to showcase his talent but made the most of his chances.
Purdy made the 49ers' roster as a rookie. When injuries thrust him into the starting lineup, Purdy seized the moment. He guided the team to the NFC Championship Game before suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. Last season, after undergoing offseason surgery, Purdy produced elite stats, setting a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards.
Today, Purdy is a household name. The underpaid and overachieving quarterback has captivated the NFL. Purdy doesn't care that critics are still looking to diminish everything he has accomplished. He is focused on helping his team achieve their Super Bowl aspirations and has adopted a new mindset in the process.
"With as good of a team that we have, I want to get to that point where we get to the third quarter, there's a couple of drives that are crucial, I'm on top of my stuff, we convert on third downs, and we score touchdowns and the lead just gets out of hand," Purdy told Michael Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle this week. "It's having that Tom Brady kind of feeling. Late in the game, it always felt like Tom was just gonna take over and not make it close. I feel like I can get to that."
Purdy once faced Brady. His 49ers hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his rookie campaign, marking Purdy's first career start. With the 35-7 victory, the first-year quarterback did to the Buccaneers what he hopes the 49ers can do to opponents all season.
"I want to be dominant," Purdy said. "Not just win games and feel like, 'Eh.' I want to be dominant with consistent decisions and feeling like we're the top dogs every day. There were moments last year in games where I would just — I don't know what it was in the situation — but we'd be up and it's, 'Alright, be smart with the ball,' or 'Let's just make sure we don't mess up.'
"I want to break through that and get to this point of just being dominant, for four quarters, man. That's my mindset."
Purdy's approach is reminiscent of Steve Young and the 1994 49ers, who didn't just want to win a Super Bowl but aimed to assert their dominance over every opponent. That team outscored its postseason opponents 131-69, culminating in a 49-26 thrashing of the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX.
The 49ers are betting favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season. However, Purdy knows expectations mean nothing.
"Screw the expectations. It's football," Purdy stated. "And for four quarters, man, we've gotta have that bloody mindset of going and taking it. Every down, every series, every rep."
Click here to read Silver's entire feature at the San Francisco Chronicle.