49ers QB Brock Purdy opens up on defeating Tom Brady in his rookie season - "It was a dream"
Brock Purdy had quite the magical 2022 season as started for the Francisco 49ers last season, leading them to the NFC Championship game. Purdy had some stellar performances last season, including defeating possibly the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
On the New Heights podcast, Purdy shared what it was like to defeat Tom Brady as a rookie signal-caller:
“It was a dream. And just seeing him after and, you know, obviously we won, which was special, but just seeing him after being able to dap him up, I was like standing there looking at him. He's talking to some players. This can't be real. So I mean, that's just what it felt like. It felt like a dream.”
Brock Purdy and the 49ers faced Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14 last season. The 49ers dominated the Buccaneers by a score of 35 - 7. Purdy threw for 185 yards and two touchdowns while running for another touchdown.
The 49ers rookie was the first quarterback to defeat the recently retired Brady in their first NFL start. Purdy was the final pick in last year's NFL Draft, aka Mr. Irrelevant. In all, the former Iowa State star had 1,374 yards, 13 touchdowns, and four interceptions in five starts for San Francisco in the 2022 season.
Will Brock Purdy be the 49ers starter in 2023?
Purdy suffered a severe injury to his elbow versus the Philadelphia Eagles in the playoffs last season. There were reports that Purdy will reportedly not need Tommy John surgery.
The surgery would have all ended any chance of him playing this upcoming season. However, he did have successful non-Tommy John surgery to fix his right elbow.
This is welcome news for both Purdy and the 49ers as he could likely be the franchise's starting quarterback in 2023. He'll be competing for the starting job against Trey Lance, their top pick in the 2021 Draft, and veteran Sam Darnold. We'll see if Brock Purdy is ready by the start of the upcoming season.