If we’re to take anything away from Brock Purdy’s first three games of major action the past three weeks, it’s that Jimmy Garoppolo is expendable.
The intrigue of Trey Lance and the amount of draft capital required to land him in 2021 makes you think that he’ll get his fair shake to compete for the starting job next fall. The allure of signing Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers is worth a long look, no matter how old they are. But Purdy’s performance the past couple of weeks has been Jimmy G-esque, with a bit more upside. Considering Purdy is due to have a cap hit of just $889,000 in 2023, with a very affordable rookie deal framework in place until 2025, Jimmy G is probably as good as gone.
With Thursday’s 21-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks, Purdy didn’t shrink in a big moment for the second straight week.
On Sunday, he outclassed Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, handing the GOAT the third-worst loss of his career. Just four days later, Purdy worked through a left rib/oblique injury to lead the Niners to their seventh straight win and the NFC West title. As far as the regular season goes, it’s hard for Purdy to pass two bigger tests.
"It's special and everything," Purdy said of the last five days. "But honestly, I'm just like another component, another piece of this team, in terms of a guy coming in and doing what he's asked of."
The 49ers haven’t had much luck in Seattle, winning just twice in coach Kyle Shanahan’s six tries. Thursday’s win marked their only road win against the Seahawks since the magical 2019 season.
"They had a lot of respect for him before that game, but a lot more now," Shanahan said of Purdy's teammates. "He's definitely the most poised rookie I've had."
Purdy finished with a Jimmy G-esque line of 17-of-26 for 217 yards and two touchdowns. He benefited from major YAC by George Kittle, as the tight end romped his way to two scores. Purdy also showed off the double pump fake on the first touchdown, on play called "Hollywood," which included a solid fake block sell job by Kittle.
Purdy has shown the efficiency, but also got recognized for his toughness Thursday night.
Shanahan said that Purdy didn't throw any passes this week before getting a few tosses in during the team's walkthrough Thursday morning in a hotel ballroom. Nick Bosa, who upped his NFL-leading sack total to 15.5 on a pressure-packed night, made sure to commend Purdy for playing through the rib/oblique injury.
"I couldn't even tell he was hurt," Bosa said. "I've seen other quarterbacks in the league who have similar things in the ribs. I've dealt with it before. It's brutal. For him to not show any pain in face and his mannerisms and everything, it says a lot about who he is."
Purdy didn’t turn the ball over Thursday. He also has the mobility that enabled him to get a key first down with 2:37 left that Jimmy doesn’t have in his arsenal. Purdy took care of the ball Thursday but took chances on Sunday that paid off. In short, the floor looks the same as Garoppolo's, but the ceiling looks higher for Purdy.
Not to mention that Garoppolo earned nearly $14 million this season and Purdy can be had for a fraction of the price next year. Garoppolo deserves recognition for leading the Niners to a 7-3 in the 10 games where he led the team. We don’t know if Purdy would have been able to take over in Week 2 when Lance went down, but it looks like the 22-year-old is good enough to lead the squad into the postseason now.
You also have to consider the circumstances of the Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins (8-5) in Purdy's recent run of success. Garoppolo led the 49ers to a field goal drive before getting hurt that game, then the Niners went on to win 33-17 with Purdy at the controls. Still, the young QB is staying humble.
"I don't think Jimmy and Trey get enough credit for what they've done," Purdy said. "I'm just now coming on the scene, where these guys have been here throughout the offseason. For Trey and then Jimmy coming into lead these guys and winning. For me to come in, I just wanted to continue what they got rolling. Big credit to Jimmy and Trey for what they've done in the quarterback room, for the team. I'm just trying to do my part."
With the way San Francisco’s top-ranked defense is playing and the security of having Christian McCaffrey on the squad, Purdy just needs to stay out of the way. The 49ers used to be accused of being myopic about Garoppolo’s value, and the seventh-round draft pick may be showing Shanahan and Co. that Jimmy G isn’t all that special.
The 49ers (10-4) have a playoff spot wrapped up and a slim mathematical shot at catching the Philadelphia Eagles (12-1) for the NFC's top seed. In essence, the Niners are locked into the No. 2 to No. 4 seed. The next three weeks should be a valuable training ground for Purdy to help earn more possible home playoff games. The pressure can't be much higher than it's been the past three weeks, so the intensity should pare down heading into Week 16 against the Washington Commanders with 10 days between games.
If Purdy is able to lead the Niners to the NFC title game or Super Bowl, and Garoppolo (ankle/foot) gets healthy, I think Shanahan would be hard-pressed to bench the youngster for Jimmy G. The gulf in talent or ability isn't there. Consider this Purdy's team until 2023.
