Is Brock Purdy Already the Greatest Mr. Irrelevant?
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy carved out his own chunk of NFL history late in the 2022 NFL season after being the final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft — more commonly known as Mr. Irrelevant.
Purdy became the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a touchdown pass in a regular-season game in a Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins, then the next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first quarterback in 23 seasons to beat Tom Brady in his first NFL start, with the 49ers cruising to a 35-7 win.
It wasn't Purdy's only NFL history he made this season. He was also the first Mr. Irrelevant to throw a forward pass in a regular season game in Week 7 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and his play made him one of the most buzzed-about player in the NFL heading into the home stretch, and on a team with Super Bowl aspirations to boot.
So who is Brock Purdy? And is he already the best Mr. Irrelevant to ever play in the NFL?
Who is Mr. Irrelevant?
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Mr. Irrelevant is the unfortunate nickname given to the final player taken in the NFL draft. The tradition began when former USC and NFL wide receiver Paul Salata began announcing the final pick in Newport Beach, California, in 1976.
Salata's tradition grew over the years and eventually grew to encompass an entire "Irrelevant Week," which included a trip to Disneyland, a regatta, a roast, a golf tournament and a ceremony awarding the player The Lowsman Trophy — a mimic of the Heisman Trophy which shows a player fumbling the football.
Salata announced the pick until 2013, when his daughter took over announcing the pick. Salata died in 2021, at 94 years old.
A History of Mr. Irrelevants
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Mr. Irrelevant has ended up being sort of a retroactive honor as well, despite not having officially been the name for the pick until 1976.
Jimmy Walker, the No. 1 pick in the 1967 NBA draft, was the final pick in the 1967 NFL draft despite not having played college football. Tight end Jacque McKinnon, the final pick in the 1961 NFL draft, opted to play in the American Football League with the San Diego Chargers and was a two-time AFL All-Star in 1966 and 1968. Linebacker Marty Moore was the final pick in the 1994 NFL draft and played eight seasons in the NFL. Moore became the first Mr. Irrelevant to play in the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2001.
The first Mr. Irrelevant to make the Pro Bowl was lineman Bill Fischer, who was picked with the final pick in the 1948 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals but returned to Notre Dame for his senior season and won the Outland Trophy. The Cardinals picked Fischer in 1949 with their first-round pick.
Brock Purdy Comes From a Family of Athletes
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Brock Purdy's family is pretty athletic. All three of the Purdy siblings played college sports. Older sister Whitney played softball at Southeastern University and younger brother Chubba Purdy, also a quarterback, played for Florida State before transferring to Nebraska, where he currently plays.
Purdy was a star at Perry High in Gilbert, Arizona, becoming the first quarterback in school history after it opened its doors during his sophomore year in 2015 playing in one of the most competitive regions for high school football in the country.
Purdy wasted little time making himself a star at Perry and turning the football program into a powerhouse, leading his school to back-to-back Class 6A state runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017 and was named Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year and The Arizona Republic High School Football Player of the Year in 2018.
From the Desert to the Big 12
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Brock Purdy was rated as a three-star recruit coming out of Perry High, but his recruitment went into hyperdrive before national signing day in 2018 as offers came in from Alabama and Texas A&M, and he took official visits to both schools.
Purdy, who is 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, decided to stick with one of the schools that had initially recruited him and headed to the Midwest, signing with Big 12 school Iowa State. Purdy enrolled at Iowa State in June 2018.
Becoming a Star at Iowa State
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It wasn't long before Iowa State fans got to see exactly what they had with quarterback Brock Purdy, who became the starter after starter Kyle Kempt was injured and backup Zeb Noland was ineffective.
Purdy started eight games as a true freshman and went 7-2 in games he played in. Purdy was the full-time starter for the next three seasons, becoming a three-time All-Big 12 pick and leading the Cyclones to their highest national ranking in school history at No. 9 in 2020.
Purdy set 32 school records in his time at Iowa State, including for pass attempts, completions, completion percentage, passing yards, passing touchdowns and total touchdowns.
How Did Brock Purdy Become Mr. Irrelevant?
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Brock Purdy's measurables didn't make him a surefire NFL draft pick because he's not super tall and he's not super fast and he didn't come from a program that competes for national championships.
But anyone who watched Iowa State play in his time there knows — the dude can play. The San Francisco 49ers saw it as well and picked Purdy with the 262nd and final pick in the 2022 NFL draft, making him Mr. Irrelevant.
Walking Into a Loaded Quarterback Room
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After Brock Purdy was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the final pick of the 2022 NFL draft, there were few illusions about where he stood in the pecking order of quarterbacks for the franchise. That's because the 49ers already had two high-profile quarterbacks on the roster.
San Francisco tabbed North Dakota State's Trey Lance as the future of their franchise when they selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft and already had a proven starter on the roster with veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, who led the team to the Super Bowl in 2020.
But NFL teams keep three quarterbacks on the roster, so there was room for Purdy.
Lance Goes Down … Jimmy G Goes Down … Enter Brock Purdy
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Second-year player Trey Lance was named the starter by the San Francisco 49ers before the 2022 season but suffered a season-ending injury when he fractured his ankle in the second game of the season after losing to the Chicago Bears in the season opener.
Enter Garoppolo, who went 7-3 over the next 10 games for the 49ers and established them as a legit Super Bowl contender before he broke his foot in Week 13 against the Miami Dolphins, with Purdy coming on to lead the team to a 33-17 win.
One Record-Breaking Start
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San Francisco 49ers fans quickly tabbed Brock Purdy with the nickname Mr. Relevant after it was revealed the team would start the rookie instead of taking a chance and signing a free-agent quarterback. The biggest name available was 2018 No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield.
Purdy had no small task in his first start, going against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and legendary quarterback Tom Brady, who was 7-0 against quarterbacks making their first start over 23 NFL seasons. Purdy was only eight months old when Brady first suited up for an NFL game in the fall of 2000.
Purdy was more than up to the task, staking the 49ers to a 28-0 lead on the way to a 35-7 win as an estimated group of 100 family and friends watched from the stands and videos of his father weeping after his second touchdown pass went viral.
Purdy finished the game 16-of-21 passing for 185 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for two touchdowns.
What Happens Next for Brock Purdy?
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Brock Purdy's record-breaking start included winning his first seven starts as he led the San Francisco 49ers to the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs but ended in disappointment — and a murky future for Purdy.
Purdy was injured in the first quarter of a 31-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 29, 2023, but returned later in the game after his backup, Josh Johnson, was also injured. One catch: Purdy couldn't throw. The reason why ended up being a torn UCL in his throwing arm that will keep Purdy out for six months.
That means that the 49ers' starting quarterback job in 2023 is now back up in the air again.