Report: 49ers knew teams planned to claim Purdy off waivers in 2022 Originally appeared in NBC Bay Area Sports
Brock Purdy changed the entire trajectory of the 49ers franchise, but the young quarterback almost found himself on a path that would have taken a sharp turn toward another NFL organization during his rookie campaign.
San Francisco decided to keep Purdy on its active roster to begin the 2022 NFL season, a decision that was influenced by information the 49ers had that at least two other teams planned to file a waiver claim for him. ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler reported Tuesdayciting a front-line source with direct knowledge of the situation.
Purdy, selected by San Francisco with the last pick of the 2022 NFL DraftHe showed the 49ers enough value during his first training camp and preseason to inspire the organization to sacrifice a heavily covered position to keep the rookie quarterback on its active roster.
Purdy quickly validated San Francisco’s decision to keep three quarterbacks on its roster, shining from the moment he stepped onto the Levi’s Stadium turf as the 49ers’ No. 1 quarterback following the season finale. Trey Lance injuries and Jimmy Garoppolo.
The roll of the dice was much like the one the New England Patriots made more than 20 years ago, when they decided to bring in four quarterbacks until cuts day because they didn’t want to lose a rookie quarterback named Tom Brady.
San Francisco would win the first seven games Purdy started before suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 NFC Championship Game which saw each of the 49ers’ two available quarterbacks go down with injuries, drastically altering what otherwise would have been an epic matchup between two NFC heavyweights.
In the wake of San Francisco’s tragic loss to Philadelphia, the NFL imposed an updated rule change that allows teams to carry a third emergency quarterback who can dress on game days without counting toward the 48-man limit.
That opens the door for players like Purdy to find their place on NFL rosters, potentially creating pathways for quarterbacks who might otherwise have seen their football dreams come to an unceremonious end before realizing their potential.
Fortunately for the 49ers, Purdy found his groove in the Red and Gold, and now looks to be San Francisco’s franchise quarterback for years to come.