"I had to prove myself all over again" - Brock Purdy reveals facing harsh scrutiny after he replaced Trey Lance as 49ers QB

Brock Purdy walked into his first training camp as the "Mr. Irrelevant" after he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers as the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. He battled his way up in a quarterback depth chart, featuring Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, the third pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Lance was then the quarterback being developed to be the Niners' next franchise quarterback at the time. Since then, however, Purdy has risen from the bottom of the chart to become the 49ers' starting quarterback, while Lance was traded for a 2024 fourth-round selection pick.

On the "Bussing With The Boys" podcast, Purdy discussed how it was difficult for him to take Lance's starting position because the former first-round pick is a friend of his. He also added that he had to deal with outside noise from people who doubted whether he was good enough because of his draft position.

"It’s tough, you know," Purdy said. "Trey and I are really tight — like brothers. Even though we compete on the field, in the locker room we’ve always had each other’s backs. People like to make it a big deal, but I only wanted the best for him, and I know he wanted the best for me. That’s just how this business goes.

"When it happened — the trade to Dallas — we were about to play a preseason game against the Chargers. It hit me right before the game, and honestly, I didn’t know how to react at first. I just hoped he’d go to Dallas, compete, and get a great opportunity. We grew up together, went through meetings and locker rooms side by side, so you want nothing but the best for a guy like that."

Purdy will continue to start for the 49ers in 2025. He signed a five-year, $265 million contract this offseason. However, Purdy should expect increased scrutiny as he enters his fourth season in the NFL because of his big salary.

Brock Purdy never stopped believing in himself after being named the 49ers starter

Brock Purdy was clearly under a lot of pressure after being named the team's starter two years ago. But he claimed on the Bussing With The Boys podcast that he didn't give much thought to the pressure and instead concentrated on believing in himself and the team around him.

"After that, I knew it was on me," the QB said. "The previous year, I tore my UCL, came back, and now I had to prove myself all over again this season. But I believed in the team around me. I just had to go out, play my game, win, and we ended up going to the Super Bowl.

"I kept it simple and didn’t pay attention to all the noise — people always question if I’m good enough. That’s part of being in the NFL, and I’m used to it."

Purdy has a 23-13 record as a starter in the NFL. He led the Niners to two NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance since being named the starter.

He has completed over 65% of his throws for 9,518 yards, 64 scores and 27 interceptions while also adding 480 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.