(Photo: NBC Bay Area)
It’s the 2022 season and the San Francisco 49ers are one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl. I also remember saying that season that the biggest threat to the eventual NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles were these same 49ers. At the beginning of the year, they started with Trey Lance under center, you know, the guy the 49ers were hoping would put them over the top and look what happened. Unfortunately, Trey got hurt and they turned back to Jimmy Garoppolo who kept them afloat, then he gets hurt himself. Kyle Shanahan would then turn to a Quarterback named Brock Purdy and he led them to a five-game winning streak to close the season out and the two seed in the NFC Playoffs. Since then, he’s been the 49ers’ starting Quarterback. We all knew this was coming as the team has decided to reward Brock with a contract extension, a five-year deal worth $265 million.
I won’t say he’s at that elite table with Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts and those names I listed are placed in their own bracket. I also see many people bash him and say he’s nothing without the weapons he has around him, but the moral of the story today is to surround your Quarterback with weapons and put him in the best position to win which leads me to quote Herman Edwards, “you play to win the game”! While people maybe 50-50 on him, I think Brock plays with swagger, energy and confidence and he may not be the flashy player, but he plays with a mentality that he can do it all on the field. If anything, I feel Brock has been misunderstood and I say that because you think it’s easy giving the ball to All-Pro teammates such as Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, but there have been instances where I’ve seen him push the ball up the field. One aspect of his game that doesn’t get discussed much is the versatility as he can stand in the pocket and can also use his legs to escape. I’ve seen Brock make it happen with his feet as I just mentioned, but he can also scramble to throw meaning he can extend the play and that makes him tough to defend. I respect his toughness and how he can take a hit or two, but still manage to throw dots. Speaking of throws, the best pass I’ve seen him make as a pro happened in a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars as he couldn’t have placed a pass any better to George Kittle as it fell right into his hands. The best game of his young career took place in the NFC title game rematch against the Eagles when he completed 19 of his 27 passes attempts and threw four touchdown passes.
When the 49ers traded Deebo Samuel, that told me they were preparing to give Brock an extension. I agree on the years, but the money, not so much. I can’t wait to see how this all pans out and where the 49ers can attempt to go from here after this signing. We knew this was coming, it was just a matter of when. George Kittle got his money, now the guy throwing him the football has his.
