San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (14) scrambles up field during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
SANTA CLARA — For a moment it felt as if the 49ers were staring at the abyss of a lost season with 12:07 left in the third quarter of an eventual 13-0 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo drifted just outside of the tackle box on a first-and-20 play following a 49ers’ holding penalty. He hit Brandon Aiyuk for an 11-yard gain. Saints defensive tackle Malcolm Roach dived at Garoppolo’s knees. He went down in a heap.
The 49ers had gotten through the loss of one starting quarterback in Trey Lance. Could they survive another?
“There was a feeling like, all right, this is it,” backup quarterback Brock Purdy said Thursday.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said he wasn’t sure if Garoppolo could continue. Garoppolo thought otherwise. He got up, finished the game and the fear of trusting a rookie seventh-round draft pick with the hopes and dreams of a potential Super Bowl contender dissipated.
Purdy remained on the bench, but was steely-eyed when asked if he was ready to take over if needed.
“Yes sir, no doubt,” Purdy said.
The 49ers thought enough of Purdy to sacrifice $1 million in signing bonus money to Nate Sudfeld, who was supposed to back up Lance but was beaten out during training camp.
The plan, however, was to bring Purdy along as the No. 3 quarterback when Garoppolo agreed to come back at a reduced contract to back up Lance. It was a break with policy in that the 49ers usually keep two quarterbacks but feared they couldn’t get Purdy onto the practice squad because another team would pick him up.
When Lance went down for the season in Week 2 with a broken ankle, the goal of a sixth Super Bowl championship hinged on the right arm of Purdy if Garoppolo were lost to injury.
Although the injury occurred in Week 2, Lance is done for the year. The last player selected in the 2022 draft at No. 262 overall — Mr. Irrelevant — could not be more relevant if called upon.
Purdy has played just once late in a 44-23 loss to Kansas City on Oct. 23, completing four of nine passes for 66 yards and an interception. A 20-yard completion to Ray-Ray McCloud on his first throw was the first pass ever completed in an NFL game by a player taken with the last pick in the draft.
“Brock has a chance to be successful in this league,” Shanahan told KNBR Friday. “He’s been getting a lot of reps on the scout team. He does a hell of a job. We won’t hesitate if he goes in, and our team would feel very confident with him.”
In four seasons at Iowa State, Purdy completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 12,170 yards, 81 touchdowns and 33 interceptions in 48 games. The experience level appealed to both Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.
“Brock came in from Day 1 and just kind of showed a grasp for our offense,” Lynch said on cut-down day before the season. “It wasn’t too big.”
Purdy, listed at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, is considered undersized and doesn’t have a huge arm. But at Iowa State, he showed a knack for finding receivers on anticipatory routes and producing in close games.
When Garoppolo went down against New Orleans, Purdy told a member of the equipment support staff to get a football and started warming up.
“I’m locked in the whole game — what they play-calls are, what Jimmy’s checks are,” Purdy said. “I’m mentally there all the time. I was in tune with what was going on and I was ready to drive if I had to go in.
“Jimmy got back up. He’s tough. He was fine, good to go. That’s how it is. But my thought was to get warm, go in there, do my thing and help the team drive and score and win.”
When the 49ers talked Garoppolo into returning, they got the NFL’s best insurance policy in the event Lance was injured. Once Lance went down, the 49ers were left with what so many other teams are — an inexperienced backup at the most important position in the sport.
Garoppolo, who started only two of 48 games in three seasons backing up Tom Brady in New England before being traded to the 49ers, understands the role and its challenges.
“It’s tough to come in as a rookie and be No. 2,” Garoppolo said. “I did that in New England and it’s tough because you’re trying to find your way as a rookie, you’re learning as much as possible and in a split-second you may be out there.”
Since Lance’s injury, Purdy has served as the 49ers’ scout team quarterback, running the plays of the opposition while operating against an elite defense on a daily basis. Progress is invisible to the outside world, but Purdy is convinced it is taking place.
“I think my feel for the game has gotten exponentially better in terms of the speed, the timing, the windows I have to throw in,” Purdy said. “I get to work my craft against one of the best defenses in the league every single day. I’m doing my best to see the safety structure, look off guys, work on my arm angles, all that kind of stuff. I do believe I’ve gotten better.”
In a quarterback room with Garoppolo, Lance and quarterbacks coach Brian Griese, Purdy is taking in as much information as possible. Garoppolo is a veteran, Griese played 11 years and Lance, like Purdy has limited experience.
“Jimmy’s a vet in this league,” Purdy said. “He’s been to the Super Bowl, won a Super Bowl with the Patriots and has learned from Tom (Brady), so I’m always asking, `What was this like? What was that like?’ He’s been real with me, telling me how it is and I really appreciate that.”
Purdy, after a sit-and-listen phase, has begun to contribute to the dialogue in meetings.
“When I got here I was like, ‘OK, I’ve got to learn. I can’t say much. I have to come in and chip away at practice,’ ” Purdy said. “I’ve gotten more comfortable but I’m still learning. Right now I’m doing my part being there for Jimmy if he ever needs me.”
Garoppolo feels the 49ers are in a good place in a leadership sense should Purdy have to take over.
“Brock’s done a great job,” Garoppolo said. “He’s helped me on the sidelines during games, and when you’re a No 2 it’s the little things that go a long way. I think he’s earned the respect of the entire team.”
Originally published at Jerry McDonald