Yes, Jayden Daniels may have had the best rookie season performance in recent memory, but what made Brock Purdy’s rookie year with the San Francisco 49ers magical was the sheer surprise.
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It’s one thing to see a No. 2 overall pick like Daniels ball out the way he did. But it’s a completely different ball game when the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft goes from being Mr. Irrelevant to becoming the starting quarterback for one of the league’s most storied franchises.
Before he ever led the team to playoff glory and the Super Bowl, or signed his five-year, $265 million extension, his rise began much earlier, in the quiet grind of the offseason.
In his recent appearance on Bussin’ with the Boys, Purdy peeled back the curtain on his first season in the big league. He shared exactly when the tides started turning, detailing what it felt like walking into the quarterback room as a seventh-round pick. He was competing against Trey Lance, Nate Sudfeld, and a sidelined but still present Jimmy Garoppolo.
“They brought me in, and then they also had Jimmy on the side,” Purdy recalled. “The organization was like, ‘Hey, we’re going with Trey Lance.’ Nate and I were competing, and then they brought Jimmy back in and released Nate. I ended up as the third guy.”
This uphill climb turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it shaped everything for the youngster. He had no choice but to stay locked in because every rep mattered when you aren’t even sure if you’re competing for a practice squad spot.
“I got two reps at the end of each period,” he said. “That was my opportunity every day to show the organization and my teammates what I was made of.”
Even then, Purdy’s focus wasn’t on headlines or handshakes; it was about showing up. And graciously enough, he now credits Nate Sudfeld and Trey Lance for taking him under their wings, even though they were all competing for the 49ers’ QB1 spot. It was one exclusive role.
“I just had to go out there and rip it, make the right decisions, and prove that if something happened, I could be trusted,” Purdy recalled.
And after weeks of relentless practice, then came the moment that changed everything. Just before the first preseason game against Green Bay, the Iowa alum noticed something unexpected at practice.
“I saw Fred [Warner] talking to Trent [Williams], and I saw Fred say, ‘I can’t wait to watch this Purdy kid at the preseason game tomorrow… That was the first time I realized, okay, they’re noticing.”
As it turned out, for Brock Purdy, that spark was all it took because he finally got the validation that the veterans were watching him. From there, he simply kept stacking plays, thriving in practice, impressing coaches, and locking in through the preseason.
“I had nothing to lose,” Purdy said. “I kept that chip on my shoulder, and I never looked back.”
Fast forward to now, Purdy is no longer the unknown rookie trying to earn a spot. He’s the face of the franchise, the guy with the massive extension, and, as Trent Williams put it, the ultimate “Cinderella story.”
But this fairytale story started with those two reps at practice, where he made sure his teammates, and the entire league, took notice.
