The San Francisco 49ers will face the Minnesota Vikings tonight with Brock Purdy starting at quarterback.
In a different world, Purdy could have been wearing the Vikings’ purple and gold. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert and Nick Wagoner, Minnesota was one of the three teams Purdy was considering signing with had he gone undrafted in 2022.
Instead, the 49ers scooped the Iowa State product up with the final pick of the draft.
“In 2022, the Vikings extended Cousins’ contract and, according to multiple sources, heavily pursued a rookie quarterback from Iowa State named Brock Purdy in the final hours of the draft, hoping to sign him to a UDFA deal,” Seifert and Wagoner wrote. “Purdy told ESPN last week he was considering the 49ers, Houston Texans and Vikings if he had gone undrafted.”
San Francisco is certainly grateful it scooped up Purdy when it did. As a rookie, he went from “Mr. Irrelevant” to the 49ers’ starter due to injuries.
Purdy is entrenched as QB1 now, and even coming off his worst game of the season last week, has performed well this year, throwing for 1,396 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception.
The 49ers and Vikings will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.