Losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime at Super Bowl LVIII was a huge blow for the San Francisco 49ers, but that didn’t change their thoughts on Brock Purdy. Despite the defeat, the franchise is glad to move forward with him as their starting quarterback.
Speaking to reporters at the scouting combine this week, Niners general manager John Lynch made it clear the 49ers feel relieved they’ve found a reliable signal-caller in Purdy, who was the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
“It’s a nice feeling, I know that — having stability at that position,” Lynch said, via Pro Football Talk. “People forget last year was Brock’s first full year as a starter. So I think that leaves you feeling pretty good about his opportunity with what we’ve already seen in his couple of years.“
Purdy exceeded expectations in his rookie year, proving to be up to the task when the Niners had to lean on him. With both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo out with season-ending injuries, the Iowa State product stepped up and lead the team to the NFC Championship, where a shoulder surgery forced him off the field.
Brock Purdy looks on before a game.
He won the job for the following year and made it all the way to the big game, falling just short in Las Vegas. Either way, Lynch emphasized on the fact that Purdy is just getting started.
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“In particular, last year, the first full year as a starter coming off the injury, we’re past that. It just gives you a lot of confidence going in. Now, it’s like kind of building around him,” Lynch added. “It gives you a foundation to build off of and that is a really good feeling, a settling feeling.”
Purdy delivered a solid performance in the 2024 Super Bowl. Even though he couldn’t lead the Niners to victory, the second-year quarterback didn’t make costly mistakes, ending the match with zero turnovers.
The 24-year-old completed 23 of his 38 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown, but he was just unlucky to have Patrick Mahomes on the other side. Only Tom Brady and Joe Burrow managed to win a playoff game against Mahomes’ Chiefs, so the Niners had nothing to complain about Purdy this time.
In fact, his ability to win the job against all odds and take the team to consecutive deep playoff runs is already enough for the Niners to feel they have the right guy at QB1. His annual salary for 2024 will continue to be less than $1m, but with another strong season, expect the young signal-caller to get a much better deal next year.
