Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season will offer something surprising with 3 top picks starting in the same game, but during the same week a young quarterback is expected to start and ultimately win the starting job like Brock Purdy did in 2022.
Brock Purdy’s journey to the starting quarterback job for the San Francisco 49ers in 2022 was a shocking surprise to many. The Iowa State product was drafted with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, earning him the moniker of “Mr. Irrelevant.”
Despite falling short of the Super Bowl, Purdy’s 2022 season was a remarkable success story. He went from being the last pick in the draft to the starting quarterback of one of the best teams in the NFL. Purdy’s performance gave the 49ers a franchise quarterback to build around for years to come.
Who is the ‘other Brock Purdy’?
According to Adam Schefter, a Chicago Bears player predicted that their quarterback Tyson Bagent is the next Brock Purdy, referring to Bagent having similar qualities to the 49ers’ quarterback.
Bagent had a successful college career, breaking almost every quarterback record for Shepherd. He also broke the Division II record for completions (1,400) and passing yards (17,034), and the NCAA record for passing touchdowns (159). In 2021, he was named the Harlon Hill Trophy and the Hardman Award winner as well as DII Offensive Player of the Year by almost every outlet.
Bagent is a mobile quarterback with a strong arm. He is also a good decision-maker and has a high completion percentage. He is still developing as a player, but he has the potential to be a good NFL quarterback.
Bagent is set to start against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8’ SNF, he was the backup quarterback for the Bears behind Justin Fields. But Fields wasn’t playing that good anyways. However, it is important to note that Fields is still a young quarterback, and it is common for quarterbacks to struggle in their rookie seasons.