Report: 49ers knew teams planned to claim Purdy on waivers in 2022 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Brock Purdy changed the entire trajectory of the 49ers franchise, but the young quarterback nearly found himself on an path that would have taken a sharp turn to another NFL organization during his rookie campaign.
San Francisco elected to keep Purdy on its active roster to begin the 2022 NFL season, a decision that was influenced by the 49ers having intel that at least two other teams were planning to submit a waiver claim for him, ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler reported Tuesday, citing a front-office source with direct knowledge of the situation.
Purdy, drafted by San Francisco with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, showed the 49ers’ brass enough during his first training-camp and preseason to inspire the organization to sacrifice a highly covered spot to keep the rookie quarterback on their active roster.
Purdy quickly validated San Francisco’s decision to keep three quarterbacks on its roster, shining from the moment he hit the turf at Levi’s Stadium as the 49ers’ No. 1 quarterback after season-ending injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
The dice roll was very similar to one made by the New England Patriots over 20 years ago, when they decided to roster four quarterbacks through cut-down day because they didn’t want to lose a rookie signal-caller by the name of Tom Brady.
San Francisco would go on to win the first seven games Purdy started before suffering a heartbreaking defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2022 NFC Championship Game that 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 aftermath of San Francisco’s tragic loss to Philadelphia, the NFL imposed an updated rule change that allows teams to carry an emergency third quarterback that can dress on game days while not counting against the 48-player limit.
That opens the door for players like Purdy to find their way onto NFL rosters, potentially creating avenues for quarterbacks who otherwise might have seen their football dreams come to an unceremonious end before realizing their potential.
Thankfully for the 49ers, Purdy found his stride in the Red and Gold, and now figures to be San Francisco’s franchise quarterback for years to come.
