The story of Brock Purdy is one you surely know front-to-back by now, but here's the cliffs notes version of it: three-star high school recruit… began his freshman year at Iowa State as the third-string quarterback, but would go to become a four-year starter for the Cyclones… departed Iowa State as the program's all-time passing leader… last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, meaning he'd carry around the “Mr. Irrelevant” tag for the rest of his life… began his rookie year in San Francisco as the 49ers third-string quarterback, but thanks to injuries to both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, he became the starter for the 49ers halfway through his first season in the NFL… bonafide MVP candidate in his second season in the NFL… the 49ers starting quarterback in Super Bowl 58.
This is not a story all too dissimilar to that of 49ers Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana. Montana himself was a third-stringer going into his fourth year at Notre Dame. Montana may not have been Mr. Irrelevant, but he was a 3rd-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft and sat behind Steve DeBerg his entire rookie season. I think we all know how Montana's career played out.
With the 49ers gearing up to play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 58, the greatest Niners quarterback of all-time is making the rounds to discuss the upcoming game, and more specifically, with ESPN's Pat McAfee, Montana discussed what he thinks of the 49ers second-year quarterback, who some analysts and former players have dismissively referred to as a “game manger.”
"There was a reason that the 49ers selected Brock Purdy and he's got some studs out there to get the ball to..
There's nothing wrong with that and everybody has had those in their lifetime" @JoeMontana #PMSLive #FTTB pic.twitter.com/Y2t6IIm3i2
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 2, 2024
Montana, a four-time Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP, had the benefit of playing with Jerry Rice, the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, for seven seasons. Rice made six All-Pro teams in his time with Montana under center. Montana also played with wide receivers Dwight Clark and John Taylor, each of whom were two-time Pro Bowlers, and running back Roger Craig, a four-time Pro Bowler and the 1988 Offensive Player of the Year. And of course, Montana spent nearly his entire 49ers career playing under one of the most influential offensive minds in league history, head coach and father of the West Coast offense, Bill Walsh.
Purdy enters Super Bowl 58 with a similar amount of firepower around him. Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk make up arguably the best cast of the weapons in the entire NFL, and head coach Kyle Shanahan, much like Bill Walsh once was, is widely considered to be one of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL. Whether Purdy manages the game or changes the game on Sunday February 11th, his play will be crucial to determining whether the 49ers can capture their sixth Super Bowl in franchise history.
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