Brock Purdy has performed better than anyone could have expected since taking over for injured quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
The statistics show he’s played even better than anyone realized.
According to NFL Communications, Purdy now has at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-plus in each of his first three career starts. The only other quarterback to do that since 1950? The legendary Dan Marino.
#49ers QB Brock Purdy joins Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks since 1950 with at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-plus in each of his first three career starts.⁰(per NFL Communications) #49wz
— Al Sacco (@AlSacco49) December 25, 2022
Purdy continued his surprising success Saturday in the San Francisco 49ers 37-20 victory over the Washington Commanders. He completed 15-of-22 attempts for two touchdowns and an interception.
No one predicted this when Purdy stepped in for the injured Garoppolo. The former Iowa State Cyclone was best known up to that point as “Mr. Irrelevent,” the 262nd and final player chosen in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Now he’s being mentioned in the same sentence as Marino, one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. In a strange coincidence, Purdy wears the No. 13 in honor of Marino, his father’s favorite player back in the day.
If the comparison to Marino isn’t enough, consider this: According to the AP, Purdy is only the second quarterback since 1950 to win his first three starts and throw for multiple touchdown passes in each game. The other QB was Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. (He wore No. 13, too.)
The 49ers have now won eight in a row, thanks in large part to Purdy’s recent play.
“I don’t really think about getting more and more comfortable or anything like that,” Purdy said after Saturday’s win (via the Josh Dubow, Associated Press). “I still have that same fire and drive as before when I wasn’t playing. I want to go in and I want to prove to my teammates and earn the respect every play, every snap, every drive.”
