Why is San Francisco 49ers’ QB Brock Purdy called ‘Mr. Irrelevant’?

With the Wild Card weekend of the NFL Playoffs set to begin on Saturday, there are eight quarterbacks looking to lead their teams to victory at Super Bowl LX.

The usual suspects like Matthew Stafford, Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen all made it to the post season. There are some big names missing, like Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Jared Goff, but in San Francisco, the 49ers have ‘Mr Irrelevant’ Brock Purdy to fire them to glory.

Brock Purdy earned the title of ‘Mr Irrelevant’ in the 2022 NFL Draft when he was the 262nd and final pick of the evening. Each year the last player to be selected wins that ignominious honor.

However, almost four years later, Mr Irrelevant finds himself in the thick of the action for one of the strongest teams in the NFL. He has fought his way to the playoffs with sheer grit and determination, something he believes sets him apart form his competitors.

“That’s sort of been the theme of my life in a sense,” he told reporters recently. “I was drafted last ... and here’s that mindset again. And I feel like this time, I haven’t let it go and I don’t want to lose it.”

Why did Brock Purdy sign for the 49ers?

As is often the case in drafts, the most important action was a reaction. In 2022, when the San Francisco 49ers were plotting their road to the Super Bowl, they had a plan. It was a plan that involved lashings of trickery, locking in Jimmy Garoppolo with a fat new contract, before trading up to draft Trey Lance in the first round.

The plan wasy had intended to let Garoppolo go once Lance was secured but, when nobody picked him up, they re-signed him on a contract significantly smaller than his original deal. It was a dream scenario for the 49ers, who had managed to get the rookie that they wanted and the solid veteran to back him up, all while saving money.

However, it would be wrong to suggest that San Francisco took a complete flier on Purdy. The youngster was on their radar already after throwing for 3,188 yards and 19 touchdowns over 13 games in his senior season. He was a promising youngster, but initially found himself far down the pecking order in San Francisco. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had nailed his colors to the mast and was all-in on Trey Lance. Garoppolo started the season as back-up and 262nd-pick Brock Purdy was in third place, seemingly unlikely to get much action.

Fast forward to 2026 and Brock Purdy (with some help from Mac Jone) has led the 49ers back to the postseason.

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