Brock Purdy

Brock Purdy (born December 27, 1999, Queen Creek, Arizona, U.S.) is an American professional football player who went from being the last player selected in the 2022 NFL draft—a pick known as “Mr. Irrelevant”—to one of the top young quarterbacks in the league. In his second season with the San Francisco 49ers, Purdy led the team to a berth in Super Bowl LVIII (2024), which ended in an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Early life and college

Purdy is the middle child of Carrie and Shawn Purdy, and the family—including siblings Whittney and Preston (“Chubba”) Purdy—lived in Arizona. Shawn Purdy had an eight-year minor league baseball career, and his resilience and competitiveness were passed onto his middle son. From the age of five, Brock Purdy wanted to be a quarterback, inspired early on by University of Florida QB Tim Tebow. When Purdy started playing tackle football, coaches asked him what position he wanted to play. The answer: “quarterback”—and only quarterback. Purdy also was on the baseball team in his first two years of high school, and he has credited his experience of playing middle infield with helping him throw football passes from different angles.

In 2018 Purdy enrolled at Iowa State University (ISU), where he majored in communications studies. In the fifth game of his first year he became the starting QB and finished the year with 2,250 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. The following season he threw for 3,982 yards and 27 touchdowns, both of which were single-season records at the school. Purdy had another strong season in 2020–21, as ISU went 9–3 and defeated Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl, finishing the year number 10 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

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Despite his solid collegiate career, NFL scouts had doubts about Purdy’s abilities. As The Guardian noted in 2024, scouting reports included these less-than-glowing assessments: “lacks quickness,” “a scrappy runner but not dynamic,” and “throwing is more of a chore than a talent.” And through the first 261 picks of the 2022 NFL draft, every team passed on him. But with the very last pick—number 262 overall—the 49ers chose Purdy.

From “Mr. Irrelevant” to star QB

The 6-feet 1-inch (1.85-meter) Purdy seemed destined to a backup role with San Francisco. The year before, the 49ers had selected Trey Lance in the first round, with the third overall pick in the draft, and they also had veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo. But after both QBs went down with injuries in the 2022 season, Purdy became the starting quarterback in December. He went 5–0 as a starter, and during the regular season he threw for 1,374 yards, with 13 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions, for an excellent passer rating of 107.3. In the playoffs Purdy helped San Francisco advance to the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game, where the team faced the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he had to leave the game in the first quarter with an elbow injury. When his backup, Josh Johnson, suffered a concussion, Purdy was forced back into action in the second half but handed off on all but two plays as San Francisco lost, 31–7.

In his second season (2023), Purdy proved that his rookie success was no fluke. He led the NFL in several categories, including yards per pass attempt (9.6) and passer rating (113.0), and he had the third most passing touchdowns in the league, with 31. He also earned a selection to the Pro Bowl and led the 49ers to a 12–5 record, tied with two other teams for best in the NFC. The 49ers returned to the NFC championship game, this time against the Detroit Lions. The 49ers trailed 24–7 at halftime, but Purdy engineered a stunning comeback, completing 13 of 16 passes in the second half to help San Francisco win, 34–31. In the Super Bowl the 49ers faced the Chiefs, the defending champions. Although San Francisco initially gained a 10–0 lead, the Chiefs beat the 49ers, 25–22, in overtime.

Purdy’s numbers were slightly down in 2024, and the 49ers finished 6–11. Early in the following season, he suffered a toe injury that limited his play. Purdy missed eight games but returned in time to help San Francisco qualify for the playoffs. The 49ers advanced to the divisional round, where they were easily defeated by the Seattle Seahawks, 41–6.

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Personal life

While in college, Purdy began dating Jenna Brandt. The couple married in 2024. The following year they had a daughter, Millie Joleen Purdy.