The San Francisco 49ers QB woes might just be over before they started. Their concerns about finding a decent replacement for Jimmy Garoppolo are definitely non-existent. The NFL is witnessing the rise of a superstar in their rookie 7th-round QB Brock Purdy. However, it seems not everyone in his life ever thought this was even remotely possible. Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban certainly did not.
Purdy’s stellar performance in the wildcard and divisional games has caught the NFL. With his rising popularity, interest in his past has also spiked. Which brought the story of his visit to Alabama out in the open. While Saban has been on point about a lot of players, especially QBs, on his team, this one might have just gone a tad bit too awry.
Advertisement
According to Purdy, his visit to Alabama did not go very well. In fact, Saban had made it abundantly clear that Purdy shouldn’t count on being a starter if he ever lands in Alabama. Per the Athletic, Saban did not even bother talking face to face with Purdy, opting to send his assistant as the messiah. However, it seems Saban made a severe miscalculation.
Purdy’s conversation with the assistant made him realize that Saban had made a massive mistake. The assistant, relaying Saban’s words, said, “You’re below average in height. Your arm strength is whatever. Your accuracy is average,” which struck a bell in Purdy’s mind. You see, accuracy is Purdy’s strength. The fact that Saban said otherwise, meant he did not even know who he was talking about.
Brock Purdy proves Saban wrong by leading 49ers to 2 wins in the postseason
That conversation back in Alabama would have surely lit a fire in Brock Purdy’s belly. This is why when he joined Iowa State, he lifted them up from bottom-feeder status to contenders for titles. Even when he received the Mr. Irrelevant title at the 2022 NFL Draft, it did not take long for him to prove his mettle to the world.
Replacing injured starter Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13, Purdy is 5-0 in the regular season and has won both his postseason games. He is also the only Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown in the regular season.
Brock Purdy is having the time of his life, in what can be described as a great start to a rookie QB’s NFL career. His emphatic performance while blowing out the Seattle Seahawks is one the 49ers will make a serious note of. He also helped his team survive a grinding night of football against the Dallas Cowboys, eventually emerging victorious, and will play in a Championship game for the first time in his life.
With all these recent successes behind him, it is a bit impossible to not compare him to another almost Mr. Irrelevant. One who charted for himself a career that has earned him 7 Super Bowl rings. The 199th pick in the 2001 NFL Draft, Tom Brady. Whether Purdy is the new-generation Brady is still unknown. However, if he somehow wins a Super Bowl this year, the comparisons will start without a doubt.
