Get to know the 49ers’ new starting quarterback, Brock Purdy

The 49ers’ playoff hopes now rest on the shoulders of a seventh-round rookie who has never made an NFL start.

After Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a fracture in his left foot Sunday against the Dolphins, Brock Purdy stepped onto the field as the Niners’ quarterback for the foreseeable future. The 49ers trailed 7-3 when Purdy entered the game and came away with a 33-17 win to move to 8-4 on the season.

Fans of the 49ers expected to be rooting for a 22-year-old quarterback this season, but they didn’t expect it to be Purdy. Trey Lance, 22, fractured his ankle in Week 2, thrusting Garoppolo back into the starting role.

The Press Democrat’s Inside the 49ers blog

With Purdy now at the helm, here’s a quick rundown for the Faithful on the new guy:

Turned down Alabama

Purdy was a three-star recruit at Perry High School in Gilbert, Arizona, where he was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2017 after setting Division 6A state records with 4,405 yards and 57 touchdown passes.

He received offers from Texas A&M, UCF and national champion Alabama, but chose Iowa State, committing in February 2018. His Dolphins counterpart Sunday, Tua Tagovailoa, was fresh off leading Alabama to a comeback win in the national title game as a substitute for now-Eagles starter Jalen Hurts.

Tagovailoa quarterbacked the Crimson Tide for the next two seasons before Mac Jones, now the Patriots’ starter, took over. And top QB prospect Bryce Young has led the Tide over the last two seasons.

So the Alabama quarterback pipeline was plenty full without Purdy, who got his chance to shine in Ames, Iowa.

Cyclones’ record-holder

Purdy has the most wins of any quarterback in Iowa State history, as he led Matt Campbell’s program to a 30-17 record, including a 16-1 home record in Big 12 conference games. He started 46 consecutive games to finish his Cyclones career and is the first quarterback to take them to four straight bowl games.

He’s atop the ISU record books in passing yards (12,170), total offense (13,347), touchdown passes (81), touchdowns responsible (100), completions (993), passing efficiency (151.1) and completion percentage (67.7).

He’s also one of only six Big 12 players ever to top 10,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his career.

First Mr. Irrelevant to complete a pass

The 49ers selected Purdy No. 262 — and last — overall in the draft last April, making him “Mr. Irrelevant.”

Though five other quarterbacks had been selected last before Purdy, nobody in that position had ever completed an NFL pass until earlier this season when Purdy completed four passes on nine attempts (with an interception) against Kansas City.

On Sunday, Purdy’s first attempt connected with Christian McCaffrey for a 7-yard gain and a first down.

Later on that drive, he became the first Mr. Irrelevant to complete a touchdown pass in the NFL, finding Kyle Juszczyk in the right flat for a 3-yard score. He added another TD pass to McCaffrey later in the game to pad that lead over every other Mr. Irrelevant ever, combined.

Family ties

Purdy’s father, Shawn, spent eight seasons in pro baseball as a relief pitcher, though he never reached the major leagues. Shawn played collegiately at Miami and spent two seasons at the Triple-A level before calling it a career.

Purdy’s younger brother Chubba, who followed him as quarterback at Perry High, was actually more highly regarded as a recruit, earning a four-star designation before heading to Florida State.

After two seasons in Tallahassee including one start, Chubba transferred in 2022 to Nebraska, where he played in six games for the Huskers this fall. He completed 22-of-48 passes for 147 yards while rushing 24 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns for the Cornhuskers.

He has … guts

Coach Kyle Shanahan, wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end George Kittle all used anatomical terms to describe Purdy’s steely performance stepping in for Garoppolo on the big stage Sunday.

Purdy showed off his intestinal fortitude by repeatedly staring down all-out pressure from the Dolphins to deliver passes.

“It wasn’t like I was out there shaking and like ‘Oh shoot, what do I do? What’s my read?’ None of that, man,” Purdy said. “Every single week, I act like I’m the starter, I gotta prepare like I’m the starter.”