- Brock Purdy began his NFL journey as "Mr. Irrelevant" — the last player taken in the 2022 NFL Draft.
- On Sunday, Purdy made the first start of his NFL career, outplaying Tom Brady and leading the 49ers to a 35-7 win over the Buccaneers.
Brock Purdy had himself quite a day on Sunday.
In April, Purdy's NFL journey began as this year's "Mr. Irrelevant," the moniker bestowed on the final player selected the NFL Draft.
But eight months after the San Francisco 49ers took him with the last pick, the designation is now obsolete, as injuries to Trey Lance in Week 1 and Jimmy Garoppolo last week thrust Purdy into the starting quarterback role for the 49ers.
Purdy's first start came on Sunday, facing off against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (No pressure!) But Purdy performed with confidence, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for one more as he led San Francisco to a 35-7 victory over Tampa Bay.
One of Purdy's best plays of the game came on a touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey, lofting a high ball into the end zone, where only his man could catch it.
—San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 11, 2022
After the play, cameras caught Purdy's family in the stands, his father welling with tears of pride.
—San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 11, 2022
Purdy's big day ended in victory, and with a handshake with Brady at midfield.
—San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 12, 2022
After the game, Purdy acknowledged how wild it was to go up against Brady.
"It's crazy," Purdy said. "I grew up watching him, seeing him make plays and win Super Bowls, so to be out on the same field and being able to compete against one another, it's literally a dream come true. I'm very blessed. I'm honored to play against him."
—FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 12, 2022
With the win, the 49ers moved to 9-4 on the season, standing atop the NFC West and looking like a lock to make the playoffs.
Purdy's road ahead with San Francisco will be pretty dramatic in the coming weeks, with the rookie playing in primetime on Thursday in a key divisional game against the Seahawks, followed by another NFC matchup with huge playoff implications in Week 16 against Washington.
Given how he played on Sunday against Brady, there's no telling how far Purdy could take this team. Despite dealing with two season-ending quarterback injuries, the 49ers are far from done.