Drafted as “Mr. Irrelevant.” in the 2022 NFL draft, Brock Purdy has had one inspiration journey to becoming the face of the San Francisco 49ers. Despite being a potential injury target during the whole offseason, the decorated quarterback bounced back in the 49ers’ opening regular-season contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Patrick Peterson of the Steelers believed that Purdy’s injuries would make the fight with the 49ers hero less of a hassle for him and made a bold prediction on Purdy before the game. However, after destroying Peterson for a touchdown, the second-year quarterback responded to him postgame in a rhetorical fashion.
49ers QB Brock Purdy takes a shot at Patrick Peterson
Before the Steelers vs. 49ers game, the Steelers cornerback caused a stir by declaring that the San Francisco team’s attack has “some tell signs” and made a bold prediction that he would intercept Brock Purdy on Sunday in the Week 1 showdown.
The seasoned 49ers QB responded simply with “We’ll see” to Peterson’s commets. With WR Brandon Aiyuk on hand to assist, Purdy didn’t take long to show Peterson how strong he was on his feet.
Aiyuk performed a terrific flip on Peterson during the 49ers’ first drive, and Purdy again targeted Peterson after throwing a score to Aiyuk. He then connected with Peterson for a mind-blowing 19-yard touchdown pass to Aiyuk.
Brock Purdy was questioned whether the Steelers player was on his mind when he sent Aiyuk his first touchdown pass after having the last laugh over Patrick Peterson. The 49ers’ QB genuinely stated that playing was his first priority rather than responding to Peterson’s taunts.
“At first no, I wasn’t thinking about any of that. The second TD, the deep ball, that one I was like alright that felt good.”
The 23-year-old became the team’s undisputed starter this season after the 49ers traded Trey Lance during training camp, and in his first game, he demonstrated that he is the solution to all of the queries surrounding the 49ers quarterback room.
49ers QB Brock Purdy returns from injury to lead 49ers win vs. Steelers
At Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, the 49ers thrashed the Steelers in an impressive 30-7 victory to kick-off the regular season. From the beginning of the play, the 49ers were spotted hungry for a win while their QB was continuously assisting them to pick a quick and soaring win.
The last draft pick of the 2022 NFL draft has already proved his worth in his rookie season, cementing his place as the team’s starting quarterback. The young star underwent surgery on March 10 to repair a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow. Hence, the 49ers may not have had great expectations for the quarterback to deliver at a pro level right away.
However, Brock Purdy defied all odds and detractors to perform above and beyond expectations. Purdy completed 19 of his 29 passes for the Steelers for 220 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing three times for 20 yards and fumbling twice.
With the season opening victory, Brock Purdy created history by transforming into the first NFL quarterback to win his first six regular-season games.
