With the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected quarterback Brock Purdy from Iowa State University. Not two years later, they found Purdy leading their team in the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
But Purdy’s rise to stardom was not as simple as many make it out to be. After earning the starting position in college and breaking several of Iowa State’s passing records, Purdy declared for the NFL draft. These records however, would not be enough to land him a high draft position.
Selected by the 49ers, Purdy faced a similar scene as to his college experience. With hopeful NFL sensation Trey Lance and veteran Jimmy Garoppolo leading the quarterback room, he was given limited snaps at practice.
In his first season, Purdy was the third string quarterback, only making it to the field after both Lance and Garoppolo were ruled out indefinitely with injuries.
Senior athlete Timothy Ku relates to the difficulties of proving oneself to their team. “At times it creates a feeling of emptiness in your body. When you know you could have limited opportunities to prove yourself for something you’ve been working so hard for,” he admits.
Carrying the title of Mr. Irrelevant, a name associated with the last pick in the draft, little was expected of Purdy even after his historic season debut. Many analysts came out saying he was a system quarterback, someone who used the elite players and coaches around him to pad his stats.
Senior Armaan Bhagwat, an avid football fan, agrees with these allegations, claiming Purdy made little difference to what was already a great team. “When you have all-pro players around you and don’t have to make the difficult plays, I think the system quarterback allegations are justified,” he said.
Ku disagrees with these statements. “Nothing about the NFL is easy. I watched Purdy in college and know the type of player he can be. There’s a reason he is starting in the Super Bowl and people need to recognize that,” he said.
Having retained the starting job for the 2023 season, Purdy and the 49ers claimed the NFC’s number one seed and made their first Super Bowl appearance since 2020. Questions surrounding the ability of players will never fade, however Purdy has proved he is capable of leading an NFL franchise.
Making comparisons to Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, football fans across the country are anxious to see where Purdy’s career takes him.
