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

With the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs set to begin on Saturday, there are eight quarterbacks looking to lead their teams to victory at Super Bowl LVIII.

The Kansas City Chiefs boast two-time MVP Patrick Mahones. Lamar Jackson has broken NFL rushing yard records for the Baltimore Ravens. C.J. Stroud is enjoying a historic debut season with Houston Texans. 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, less than two years on, Mr Irrelevant finds himself in the thick of the action for one of the strongest teams in the NFL. This year Purdy has set a franchise record for most passing yards (4,280) and becomes the first 49ers quarterback since 2001 to throw 30 touchdown passes. He has fought his way to the final eight of the Super Bowl 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.

But given Garoppolo’s injury struggles management decided to hedge their bets and grab a number three quarterback with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. They plumped for a young QB from Iowa State, one Brock Purdy.

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 Week 2 of the NFL season and Trey Lance, the man who Shanahan had built the project around, picked up a season-ending ankle fracture, leaving Garoppolo as the 49ers starting QB.

The former Patriot performed admirably in the role, going 7-3 and guiding the team to the playoffs, before suffering an injury of his own. That left Purdy, just months after picking up the tag of Mr Irrelevant, as the starting quarterback for one of the most illustrious franchises in NFL history.

Purdy won all six regular season games in 2022 but suffered an elbow injury as the 49ers lost in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. After making a full recovery Brock Purdy was named San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback for the 2023 season.

Mr Irrelevant will be at the middle of the action as the 49ers host the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, 20 January.