Brock Purdy sums up his first season as the 49ers' starting quarterback with simple message
The Kansas City Chiefs prevailed in Super Bowl 58 to deny San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy a fairytale ending to a remarkable first season as their starter. Purdy's incredible rise from the final pick in the 2022 draft to the Niners' starting role was already the stuff of franchise legend entering the 2023 season, […]
The Kansas City Chiefs prevailed in Super Bowl 58 to deny San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy a fairytale ending to a remarkable first season as their starter.
Purdy's incredible rise from the final pick in the 2022 draft to the Niners' starting role was already the stuff of franchise legend entering the 2023 season, the former Iowa State star having been thrust into the limelight in his rookie campaign after an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13. He won all five of his regular-season starts after leading the Niners to victory against the Miami Dolphins in relief of Garoppolo, with Purdy then securing a pair of playoff wins prior to suffering a torn elbow ligament in the NFC Championship Game.
That injury served to make Purdy's success in his first full season all the more incredible, as he set the franchise record for single-season passing yardage (4,280) while spending much of the year in the MVP discussion, leading the NFL in touchdown percentage, passer rating, QBR and every yards per attempt metric.
Purdy authored two more stunning chapters to his unlikely tale with comeback wins over the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the playoffs after the 49ers clinched the one seed in the NFC. Those were followed by an admirable performance on the biggest stage, with the 49ers holding leads in the fourth quarter and overtime agains the Chiefs, only for their hearts to be broken once again by Patrick Mahomes.
The rollercoaster the 49ers went on during the 2023 campaign and the postseason that followed could be difficult to sum up but, a month on from the most painful defeat of his career, Purdy did so in succinct fashion.
Purdy posted on Instagram: "Won together and lost together. Did it with my boys. Keep the Faith."
The 49ers face a challenging offseason as they look supplement a top-heavy expensive roster with some impactful free agent signings and an infusion of youth via the draft while also attempting to tie wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, Purdy's favorite target, to a long-term deal.
Having come up short against the Chiefs for the second time in five years, 49ers fans would be forgiven for being disheartened as they look ahead to 2024. But, in Purdy, they have a quarterback who gives them a reason to keep believing.
