Brock Purdy arrived in the NFL with little to no fanfare. He was selected the final pick in the 2022 draft after starting for four seasons as Iowa State. Purdy scored 100 combined TDs as a Cyclone, but was never viewed as a surefire NFL starter. When he was selected, Purdy found himself buried on a 49ers depth chart that featured incumbent NFL veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, as well as Trey Lance - the 3rd overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Purdy made the 49ers roster and entered the 2022 season as the 49ers' third-string QB, with Lance named the starter ahead of Garoppolo. Kyle Shanahan praised Purdy’s pre-season performance and privately told Jed York that he believed Purdy would be the future starter. Shanahan’s premonition proved correct, as a perfect storm of injuries paved the way for Purdy to have his opportunity. Trey Lance went down two games into the season with a fractured ankle. Then, in Week 13, Garoppolo went down with a foot injury. Purdy took over and won the game. The following week, he faced off against Tom Brady and The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won again. He won all five of his starts, finishing the regular season with 1,374 passing yards and 13 TD passes.
In 2023, Purdy entered the season as The 49ers' starting quarterback, after Lance was shipped off to Dallas. The former Mr. Irrevelant went on to plant himself firmly in MVP discussions. San Francisco finished with the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and Purdy took incredible strides in production. He finished No. 5 in passing yardage (4280), third in passing TDs (31), fifth in completion percentage (69.4-percent), and No. 1 in QBR and True Passer Rating. The 49ers won two playoff games, including a come-from-behind win over Detroit in the NFC Title Game. Purdy finished that game with 267 passing yards and 48 on the ground. His 315 combined yards set a record for a 49ers QB in a conference championship game. Purdy became the lowest-drafted QB to start in a Super Bowl, but the Niners ultimately fell to the Chiefs in overtime, 25-22.
