NFL News: Brock Purdy could have played for another NFC team instead of the 49ers

Brock Purdy is one win away from getting his first Super Bowl. However, his career could have gone a lot different, as another NFC team was really interested in drafting him before the San Francisco 49ers did.

There’s no doubt that the 49ers found a hidden gem in Brock Purdy. With the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, San Francisco decided to bolster their offense by adding an unknown quarterback who was not expected to become the team’s starter.

As Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo got injured, Purdy had to step up for the team’s offense. The 2022 ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ surprised everyone with his talent, and now he’s on the verge of lifting his first Vince Lombardi trophy.

Report: Panthers wanted to ‘steal’ Brock Purdy from the 49ers

31 teams passed on Brock Purdy in the 2022 NFL Draft, and it seems they made a terrible mistake. The player has proven to be a remarkably reliable quarterback, leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl in just his second year in the league.

When Purdy received the call from the 49ers, John Lynch, the team’s general manager, unveiled that they had wanted to draft him earlier, but circumstances intervened. However, they weren’t the only ones interested in him.

Matt Rhule, former coach of the Carolina Panthers, has revealed that he advised the team to keep a close eye on Purdy. Having faced him in college, the quarterback left a lasting impression on the head coach.

“I think Brock Purdy is an amazing player because I played against him at Iowa State,” Rhule said Wednesday, via KETV NewsWatch 7. “When I was in the draft room at Carolina, I brought his name up. I said ‘hey guys, his name should be on the draft board.’ I got vetoed on that one. We used to tell guys when we played Brock Purdy, ‘do not, do not fall for his pump fake.’ First game against him, he pump-fakes and our defensive backs jump even though he is past the line of scrimmage. A lot of respect for Brock.”

During the 2022 season, the Panthers grappled with finding the ideal quarterback to lead their offense. P.J. Walker, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield vied for the position, but none of them had a standout year, leading the club to part ways with all of them by the end of the campaign.

Brock Purdy, quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers

In the 2022 NFL Draft, Carolina selected QB Matt Corral with the 94th overall pick, but they released him a year later. In the following draft, they chose Bryce Young with the 1st overall pick, but unfortunately, he has fallen short of expectations.

Why did all 31 teams pass on Brock Purdy in the 2022 NFL Draft?

With the 262nd overall pick, the San Francisco 49ers selected Brock Purdy in the 2022 NFL Draft. Dubbed as the ‘Mr. Irrelevant’, two years later he proved all the teams wrong for not choosing him.

The former Iowa State player didn’t have bad numbers in college, which makes it surprising that he was picked last in the draft. He averaged a little more than 3,000 passing yards in his four years, with a pass completion percentage of 67.7, along with 81 touchdowns and 31 interceptions.