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Brock Purdy was the 262nd and final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Iowa State, aka Mr. Irrelevant. He entered his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers behind the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance on the depth chart. All things considered, Purdy wasn't expected to see the field at any point this season. Lance started the first two games of the season before injuring his right ankle.
Garoppolo started the next 10 games for the 49ers, only to injure his foot in his start versus the Miami Dolphins in Week 14. Now, it was time for Purdy to make his NFL debut in relief of Garoppolo. He threw for 210 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the 49ers' win over the Dolphins. Purdy became a full-time starter once Garoppolo was announced out for the rest of the regular-season.
It was time for Mr. Irrelevant to start some relevant games for the 49ers. In his first NFL start, Brock Purdy threw for 185 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in Week 15 against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Purdy also found the end zone on the ground as well in the 33 - 17 victory over the Buccaneers.
Overall, Purdy would go on to lead the 49ers to five, straight wins and the NFC West division title. The former Iowa State star threw for 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in his five starts. He has the fifth-most passing yards for a rookie quarterback in 49ers history. Purdy is tied with Nick Mullens for the most touchdown passes for a rookie in franchise history.
Last year's Mr. Irrelevant furthered his case to be the best Mr. Irrelevant of all time in his first playoff start.
Brock Purdy is making his case to be the greatest Mr. Irrelevant in NFL history
While he was impressive in his five starts in the regular season, Purdy picked up where he left off in his first playoff start. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another touchdown in his playoff debut versus the Seattle Seahawks.
He became the first rookie signal-caller to start in a playoff win since Russell Wilson did so a decade ago with the Seahawks. Per the Fox broadcast, Brock Purdy was the first rookie quarterback with four total touchdowns in a playoff game. Not bad for Mr. Irrelevant.
At this rate, Brock Purdy is on his way to being the most relevant Mr. Irrelevant of all time. We'll see if the 49ers quarterback stays at the incredible pace he's at right now.
