Will Brock Purdy Go Down the Dark QB Alley the Last 18 Losing Debutants Went?

Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers came up short in their quest for that elusive, long-awaited Super Bowl trophy. The Iowa State alum was undoubtedly excellent during the regular season, even becoming the passer rating leader. However, Andy Reid and his shot caller once again overcame Kyle Shanahan and his Bay Area side, exactly where it mattered the most. Whether it’s the blunder in overtime or the Special Team’s fumble that led to a touchdown, it felt like the Chiefs had them exactly where they wanted. So, the question remains — Can Purdy perhaps make a comeback in the coming season?

As it turns out, history isn’t actually on Purdy’s side. The last 18 QBs to lose their Super Bowl debut haven’t made it back. The last one who did make a comeback — Jim Kelly, who is the sole QB in league history to take a franchise to four Super Bowls and yet remain winless.

Before Purdy, there was Jalen Hurts, who reached the big game in 2023, amassing over 42oo yards in the regular and postseason combined. In the grand finale, he threw for 304 yards, securing one passing touchdown, 70 rushing yards, and three rushing scores. However, this season saw a decline in his performance, and the Eagles were eliminated in the wild-card round.

In 2022, Joe Burrow led the Bengals to the grandest stage in football against the Rams, triumphing over Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC Championship. Despite maintaining impressive stats — for over 5000 yards in the regular season and postseason combined — he couldn’t surpass the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game the following year. This season also wasn’t very kind to injury-laden Burrow, and his Bengals failed to secure a spot in the postseason.

Before Burrow, there was Jimmy Garoppolo, who had the best statistical season of his career but lost to the Chiefs in the big game in 2020. However, plagued by injuries and mediocre performances in the subsequent seasons, he eventually lost his spot in the squad and was traded to the Raiders.

Jared Goff is also on this list — following an impressive regular season under Sean McVay, he led the Rams to the ultimate game in 2019, becoming the first QB since Hall of Famer Kurt Warner to do so. Despite throwing for over 4500 yards in the regular season, he couldn’t replicate that success in the postseason, losing the Lombardy to Tom Brady.

After two more solid regular seasons in LA, he was traded to the Lions as part of the Stafford deal and hasn’t played in the Super Bowl since. But he did make history this year after ending the winless drought in the playoff for the Silver Crush, after overcoming the Rams and the Buccaneers, then losing in the NFC Championship. There are 13 more quarterbacks on this cursed list. Take a look:

Football stands as a fiercely competitive and physically demanding sport. Despite fewer games in the season compared to other team sports, the stakes are exceptionally high. A mere couple of losses can derail and abruptly conclude the team’s season. The sport requires a lot of planning and roster building during the off-season. So the organization has to prepare for anything; so, it’s no wonder making it to consecutive Super Bowls is a herculean task, no matter how good your roster is.

Purdy has performed amicably well, given that he is still on a rookie contract. Given his growing resume, and if he continues to excel, he will soon be looking at a new and improved contract.

Brock Purdy’s Contract Situation with the Niners

Mr. Irrelevant has been phenomenal this season, throwing for 4280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and only 11 picks during the regular season. He led game-winning drives in the postseason, and despite losing on the grandest stage; he held his ground quite well. Now with MVP-level performances, two NFC Championship appearances, and 1 Super Bowl appearance, he has somewhat proven that he deserves to be seen as the future of the franchise.

He will be looking forward to a big payday once his rookie contract of $1,004,252 expires in 2026. Currently, the lowest-paid player in the squad, the 49ers don’t have to worry about his contract for now. The real work for any team like the 49ers after losing in the big game — begins in the off-season. Contact restructuring and extensions to players that they see as part of the franchise’s future, like Brandon Aiyuk, Arik Armstead, Dre Greenlaw, and Charvarius Ward, take precedence. Contracts for these three important players run out in 2025 and the 49ers only have half a million in cap space, as per Spotrac.

While they can sign Purdy into a contract extension before his current contract expires, the team’s ability to secure substantial contracts for key players like Bosa, Deebo, Trent, and a few more have been facilitated by Purdy’s rookie contract. There is a significant possibility that maintaining the current roster may become challenging once Mr. Irrelevant secures his new improved contract. Even if he doesn’t command a $40 million contract like many other QBs in the league, a $25 million contract would still impact the team’s salary cap structure.