The San Francisco 49ers may have found a diamond in the rough.
Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo getting hurt could’ve been a blessing in disguise for them, as 2022 Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, has emerged as a late-season sensation.
Not only has Purdy looked comfortable in his first taste of NFL action, but he’s also elevated the Niners’ offense in ways not Lance nor Garoppolo did.
That’s why Rich Eisen believes he should continue to be the starter even if Garoppolo is healthy and back for the playoffs:
“Just think about this: The San Francisco 49ers — everybody knew Jimmy G was done,” Eisen started. “(…) In between the time Lance gets his job and training camp hits, they go ahead and just use — who knows? Why not? The last pick in the Draft on a kid called Brock Purdy, who we hardly talked about in the combine (…), and then by the end of training camp, they’re like, ‘Hey, we still have Jimmy G here; he hasn’t gone anywhere yet, maybe we could see if he sticks around because we can’t go into the season with Trey Lance in his first full year as a starter with the kid we drafted last in the Draft as his backup, can we?’ (…) [Now] Purdy is not only winning, he’s playing really well, he’s distributing, he’s not making mistakes, he’s finding [George] Kittle in a way not even Jimmy G was not. So, yeah, Purdy is, in fact, taking this team to the playoffs, and if Jimmy G does return, he’s a much better option as the backup.”
What happens if Jimmy G is healthy enough for the NFC Championship Game or Super Bowl, if the #49ers make it that far? Should get the starting QB gig back from Brock Purdy?#NFL #NFLPlayoffs #FTTB pic.twitter.com/6HWxeXefMd
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 9, 2023
Truth be told, the Niners had already moved on from Jimmy G, so why go back to him when the rookie is balling out?
Also, you already know what you’re getting from Garoppolo, and it’s not better than what they’re getting from Purdy.
NEXT: Brock Purdy Surpasses Patrick Mahomes In A Key Category