As one of the few players given the dreaded “Mr. Irrelevant” tag to ever succeed in the NFL, Brock Purdy’s story has been told on a loop in his three years with the San Francisco 49ers.

Yet, while his rise has been repeatedly documented, Purdy did not reveal how he felt about surpassing incumbent starter Jimmy Garoppolo and first-round pick Trey Lance on the depth chart until recently.

Typically known for his humble persona, Purdy did not hold back when recalling his thoughts on seizing the opportunity to make his unexpected rise. Knowing the road would be rough, Purdy recalled having confidence but not knowing when his chance would come until Garoppolo reclaimed the starting job after Lance fell injured.

“Going up against some dudes that I’ve watched growing up on the practice field and in preseason games sort of gave me some confidence,” Purdy said on the ‘Built 4 More’ podcast. “I was like, ‘Okay, I can do this thing.’

“I don’t know how it’s going to go down because there’s guys in front of me with Trey Lance and then later when Jimmy Garoppolo joined again. But once Jimmy became the starter, I was like, ‘I’m getting some playing time this year, man.’”

Purdy played nine games as a rookie in 2022 and got his first chance to shine when Garoppolo suffered an early foot injury against the Miami Dolphins in Week 13. He led the 49ers to a 6-0 finish to the season and carried the momentum into the playoffs.

San Francisco improbably made its way to the NFC Championship Game, where an elbow injury effectively took Purdy out and ended the team’s season. Still, his late-season run was enough to give him a leg up on Lance in the ensuing offseason and permanently secure the job.

Brock Purdy, Jimmy Garoppolo’s contrasting career paths

Three years after Purdy shook up the league as “Mr. Irrelevant,” he is now looking to become one of the highest-paid players in the NFL.

Ahead of the final year of his rookie contract, Purdy is still making less than $1 million annually and reportedly wants a substantial pay raise to $40 million per season. While he continues to negotiate with the 49ers, it does not change the fact that his career has fully taken off.

Garoppolo, meanwhile, has spiraled in the opposite direction. Since losing the 49ers’ starting quarterback job to Lance, and eventually Purdy, he has failed to live up to the player some initially projected him to be.

The Las Vegas Raiders gave Garoppolo one final chance as a starter in 2023 to disastrous results. Garoppolo quickly flamed out — throwing just seven touchdowns to nine interceptions in seven games — forcing the team to turn to sixth-round draft pick Aidan O’Connell.

The 2025 offseason says all there needs to be on where both quarterbacks are in their respective careers. As Purdy negotiates with the 49ers for a lucrative contract, Garoppolo re-signed with the Los Angeles Rams on a one-year, $4 million deal to back up star QB Matthew Stafford.