The San Francisco 49ers are on their way to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2019 season, aiming to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs and bring home the team's first championship in nearly three decades.
The Niners owe their current position to the contributions of second-year quarterback Brock Purdy.
"He's the reason we're headed to the Super Bowl," exclaimed tackle Trent Williams after the 49ers secured a hard-fought comeback victory against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game.
Purdy, who faced criticism and was labeled as a "game manager" and "system quarterback" since becoming the starter as a rookie, has proven doubters wrong. As the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, few believed he could have such a profound impact on the team. Instead, critics attributed the team's success to the playmakers around him and head coach Kyle Shanahan's system, suggesting that Purdy was just along for the ride.
"The reason that we're here today is because of what 13 has done, what he does every single day, what he does on Sundays when he gets us the ball in space," tight end George Kittle said in the week leading to the NFC Championship Game.
Purdy's NFL journey has been marked by adversity. After the 49ers lost two quarterbacks to injuries, Purdy led the team to the NFC Championship. Unfortunately, a torn UCL in the quarterback's throwing arm dashed San Francisco's Super Bowl aspirations.
A year later, the MVP finalist has guided the 49ers to the NFL's title game. It took some heroics from him and his teammates in back-to-back playoff games to reach this point. Against the Lions, it involved overcoming a 17-point halftime deficit.
Reflecting on his NFL journey and its influence on the team's second-half comeback, Purdy shared his thoughts with reporters after the game.
"Yeah, honestly. I think it's a testament to God and where he's taken me in life," Purdy said. "I've never been the biggest, fastest, strongest, any of that. I feel like I've always had to sort of fight for what I get, work for what I get. But God's always given me an opportunity, whether that was in high school, college, then obviously, in the NFL.
"Getting drafted last, people overlook you, that kind of stuff. All you need is an opportunity and watch and see what he does. I put my faith and trust in Him. He's gotten me to where I'm at."
This faith carried into the second half of the game against the Lions with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
"When I'm down 17 at half, 'All right, God, you've taken me here, win or lose, I'm going to glorify you,'" Purdy continued. "That's my peace, that is the joy, the steadfastness. That is where I get it from. That is the honest truth. I leaned into that. Sure enough, we were able to come back."
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