San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was the 262nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. As the last pick in the draft, he was named “Mr. Irrelevant.” In his first season, he helped his team reach the NFC championship game, where he got injured. He helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl in his second season.
Brock Purdy is the 8th QB to start in the Super Bowl in their first two years in the league.
Dan Marino
Kurt Warner
Tom Brady
Ben Roethlisberger
Colin Kaepernick
Russell Wilson
Joe BurrowOnly QB to have over a 110 passer rating from that list is Brock Purdy with a 113. pic.twitter.com/SPqMtaQi6K
— John Chapman (@JL_Chapman) February 6, 2024
During the off-season, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said the team considered signing Tom Brady and having Purdy recover from his Tommy John procedure while spending the season as the backup behind Brady.
Brady declined the offer, but Purdy recovered from the procedure. He threw 31 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and 4,280 passing yards, completing 69.4 percent of his passes, and he led the league with a 113.0 passer rating this season.
As most of the attention has been turned to Taylor Swift and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Purdy has the opportunity to become just the fifth quarterback to win the Super Bowl in his second season. The four quarterbacks who won in their second season were Kurt Warner, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and Russell Wilson.
As the 49ers quarterback has battled through adversity, he has embraced his faith, giving all the glory to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Purdy, 24, has not shied away from speaking about Christianity, the Bible, God, and prayer.
He has been open about praying during games. When a reporter asked him whether he prays during games, Purdy said:
“Yeah, yeah, I do. You know, it’s not ‘Can we, God, can we win here? Can we do something great here?’ It’s more just to ask to have that peace, that steadfastness in all the chaos. That’s really what it is. And sink it back into like, ‘Holy Spirit, you know, take over and lead me here in this moment and allow me to think clearly. Allow me to, you know, obviously, go through my reads,’ and, like I said, just have an even-keeled state of mind that I get from the Holy Spirit.”
During the NFC Championship game against the Detroit Lions, the 49ers trailed 24-7 at halftime. Despite a challenging first half, Purdy rallied and led the 49ers to a stunning comeback victory. After securing the 34-31 win, Purdy said:
“So when I’m down 17 at half, honestly, I’m just thinking, ‘All right God, You’ve taken me here, and win or lose, I’m going to glorify You.’ That’s my peace, that’s the joy, that’s the steadfastness — that’s where I get it from. And that’s the honest truth. So I leaned into that and sure enough, we were able to come back.”
During Super Bowl media day in Las Vegas, Nevada, Purdy was asked by Jason Romano of Sports Spectrum about some of the Bible passages that he’s been reading. Purdy said:
“For me, it’s been Psalm 23. ‘Even when I go through the darkest valley, I feel no danger for you are with me. Your rod and your staff comfort me.’ And then it also talks about how God prepares a table before me, even in the presence of my enemy.”
He added, “I already have what I need from the Good Shepherd in Jesus.”
49ers QB Brock Purdy says his favorite Bible passage is Psalm 23pic.twitter.com/MlO1TpeEdf
— Sports Through Faith (@Christletes4Him) February 8, 2024
Purdy draws strength from his faith in God through life’s challenges, whether navigating rough waters or during his triumphs and accomplishments of his life and NFL career. Purdy continued, saying:
“So even though all the craziness is going on for me, I’m like God is with me. He’s right here in this moment. And it gives me peace. It gives me, you know, just the calmness, the steadfastness. Yeah, in those moments, that’s what I can sink back to.”
Transitioning from “Mr. Irrelevant” to starting in the Super Bowl marks a significant shift for Purdy, to say the least. Through and through, Purdy remains true to himself and continuously gives all the glory to his Lord and Savior.
Today marks a pivotal moment in Purdy’s burgeoning NFL journey as the 49ers prepare to clash with Patrick Mahomes and the reigning champions. Purdy is poised to seize the opportunity to defy expectations by leading his team to a Super Bowl victory. This achievement would not only solidify his standing in his sophomore season but also come against the formidable Mahomes-led Chiefs.
