Everyone loves a come-up story. Fans love to hear about a player who was overlooked as a last-round draft pick, who becomes a stellar quarterback for our beloved Niner gang.
Mr. Irrelevant not only showed his worth but exceeded expectations as a first-string quarterback during his rookie season. After being drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, it took only 13 weeks for Brock Purdy to become the starting quarterback, as both quarterbacks, Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, suffered injuries. Since then, Purdy has more than proved himself.
Brock Purdy's football career began many years ago, inspired by watching Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators. With a father who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it's easy to believe that he would have inherited the baseball genes, but Purdy had a passion for football.
After starting to play tackle football at the age of 12, Purdy told his coaches that there was no question: he was determined to play quarterback.
Those dreams continued into high school, where he was a three-star quarterback at Perry High School, eventually winning Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year honors after the 2017 season. These may seem like unimportant facts about Purdy, but he finished his career with 8,937 passing yards and an overall of 107 touchdowns. Purdy achieved these incredible numbers as just a high school student while maintaining a GPA of 3.8.
Coming from an outstanding high school career, it's easy to believe that Purdy received offers from many colleges, such as Alabama, Texas A&M, Boise State, and others. In the end, Purdy decided that Iowa State would be his home for the next four years, playing from 2018 to 2021.
If anyone ever told Purdy that college was the place to show your skills, he truly listened. "Irrelevant" was not a word used to describe his college career, as he ended it with 12,170 passing yards, 13,347 total yards of offense, and he was responsible for 100 touchdowns. With 14 awards and honors on his belt, including Big 12 Sportsman of the Year in 2022, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP in 2020, and more, it was hard to believe what happened next for him in the 2022 NFL Draft.
After jokes filled his house about becoming Mr. Irrelevant from his father, and cake and balloons from his mother, Purdy became okay with the idea of being undrafted. He knew he would still have some teams to choose from, and he knew this would all be a stepping stone to becoming one of the greats.
However, in the end, with the 262nd pick, Lynch and company got their man, and he would continue to prove that name wrong time and time again.
Oh, we've all heard "Mr. Irrelevant this" and "Mr. Irrelevant that," but everyone who bleeds red and gold knows that Purdy is anything but irrelevant.
He continues to achieve impressive statistics and break records each game, becoming the first rookie in the Super Bowl era with at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 125 or higher in his first career start.
He has led the 49ers to two NFC Championship games, with one win, and while he hasn't secured a Super Bowl victory yet, he has many years left to achieve that goal. We tend to forget that Purdy has completed only three years in his NFL career, but the way he plays the game is enough to make us forget that.
If his come-up story wasn't enough to make the Bay love him, he still has plenty of time to win them over. Purdy's rookie contract has ended, and he has secured a five-year, $265 million contract that runs through the 2030 season. This contract has made Purdy the highest-paid player in franchise history and the seventh highest-paid quarterback in the NFL on a per-year basis.
Brock Purdy used the name Mr. Irrelevant to his advantage, turning it into motivation to become a new generation's favorite Bay Area quarterback. With a contract like his, fans by his side, and the next Super Bowl being hosted at the 49ers' Levi's Stadium, who knows what Purdy can accomplish this season?
Super Bowl wins and awards mean a lot, but nothing means more than having Purdy wear red and gold for another six seasons.