49ers QB Brock Purdy's stunning run earns him new nickname

The 262nd and final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft took over as the Niners starting signal-caller early in Week 13 when Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a foot injury. "Jimmy G." was reinserted as the starter in Week 2 after Trey Lance went down with a season-ending ankle injury.

Purdy quickly impressed in San Francisco, not only keeping the team in the playoff race, but helping the Niners extend their winning streak to conclude the regular season to 10 games and earn the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Purdy was dominant in the 49ers' wild-card round victory against the Seattle Seahawks, racking up a season-high 330 passing yards, along with three passing touchdowns and four carries for 16 yards and an additional score on the ground.

The 23-year-old did enough to get San Francisco past the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round before he suffered an elbow injury on the team's first drive during the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Purdy eventually returned to the field in the second half (after fourth-string journeyman Josh Johnson went down a concussion), but Philadelphia dominated in a 31-7 win.

Despite the rough ending on Sunday, Purdy's 7-1 record (including the playoffs) and his nearly 2,000 passing yards plus 16 passing touchdowns against only four interceptions certainly seem enough for him to shed the "Mr. Irrelevant" nickname.