49ers’ Brock Purdy takes subtle dig at Jimmy Garoppolo by undermining his abilities

Right on the eve of his potential contract extension, Brock Purdy took a not-so-subtle dig at his former San Francisco 49ers quarterback partner, Jimmy Garoppolo. Purdy recounted the steps back to his initial days in California as a rookie fighting for a chance that eventually arrived at the expense of Jimmy G.

During a recent interview on the Built 4 More podcast, Purdy revealed Trey Lance was balling in the training camp and at one point seemed the favorite to pip Garoppolo to the starting role until the former ND State starter hurt his finger in the final warm-up game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

I’m not going to lie. During camp and stuff, all the competitions and stuff were going on, and Trey [Lance] was the guy, but like, with Nate [Sudfeld] and I are competing.

Brock Purdy said

Purdy realized his chance was knocking on the door. The 49ers found themselves in a precarious position after a few weeks into the new NFL season.

I don’t know how it’s going to go down [but] once Jimmy [Garoppolo] became the starter [in 2022], I was like, ‘I might get some playing time this year. I just don’t know when‘.

Brock Purdy said

Damn: Brock Purdy fired shots at Jimmy Garoppolo when asked when he thought he might become the 49ers starting QB:

"Once Jimmy Garoppolo became the starter (in 2022) | was like I might get some playing time this year. I just don't know when."

😳😳😳

(via @Built4MorePod) pic.twitter.com/28HR5Ht87U

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 27, 2025

Both Garoppolo and Lance, whom they traded up to draft ahead of several notable college quarterbacks, ended up injuring themselves.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan required a quick decision. He settled on handing the quarterback job to the 262nd pick of the 2022 draft (last pick), Brock Purdy. It turned out to be a masterstroke for the 49ers.

Brock Purdy’s underdog story

There was doubt from the start regarding Purdy’s ability to survive in the NFL. Hardly anyone expected much from ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ at that point, but it wasn’t anything new for Purdy.

The 25-year-old has been doubted his entire life. During his visit to Alabama for a trial, former head coach Nick Saban told him in a roundabout way that he wasn’t Crimson Tide material.

You’re below average [in height], your arm strength is whatever, [and] your accuracy is average.’ As soon as he mentioned the accuracy, Brock knew right away: ‘This guy doesn’t know me.’ Because, if anything, that’s his strength. He goes, “Coach, he didn’t know who I was.”

Brock Purdy’s high school coach, Preston Jones, told the Athletic in an interview

Purdy was a three-star recruit coming out of Gilbert, Arizona. Most big schools didn’t take an interest in him like Saban’s Bama.

My whole story has been overlooked, not good enough… I barely get an offer, and I go to Iowa State [where] I was the third-string guy going into that—overlooked. And then I became the starter halfway through that season, and then for four more years.

Brock Purdy added

Purdy joined Iowa State University and played for the Cyclones. He posted a 29-17 record while averaging a 67.7% completion rate and threw 81 touchdowns compared to 31 interceptions. He also added 19 touchdowns on the ground while covering 1177 yards.

The final pick in the draft stuck to him like glue, as if it was embroidered on his 49ers jersey. Despite being written off, Purdy made sure to make the starting quarterback position his own and never let go.

All these people tell me that you’re not going to be good enough, but deep down inside, this whole time, I’m like, just wait until I get an opportunity to compete.

Brock Purdy said about becoming the starting quarterback for the 49ers

Mr. Irrelevant’s path to a lucrative contract

Purdy didn’t lose a single regular season game, throwing 13 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions while completing 67.1% of his passes. He navigated the 49ers through the wildcard and the divisional round, securing wins against the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. Purdy became the first rookie QB since 1970 to throw 200+ passing yards in a divisional-round playoff game.

If Purdy didn’t injure his right elbow, then perhaps the Niners had a shot at beating the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game as well.

The following year, Purdy led the 49ers to the Super Bowl but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. According to Pro Football Focus, Purdy completed more 10+ yard passes than any other quarterback and had the lowest YAC (yard after catch) in the NFL in 2023.

2024 was exactly the opposite. He struggled because of injuries to some of the star players, like Christian McCaffrey, Dre Greenlaw, Brandon Aiyuk, and Trent Williams. The 49ers finished with only six wins and at the bottom of the NFC West. Despite the bad year, Purdy maintained his 65+ pass completion percentage and an average of 8.5 yards per throw.

According to the latest report, Brock Purdy is in line for a $60 million per year contract extension. The negotiations are ongoing, but Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn wants the Niners to trade the Pro Bowler instead of paying him.

Related: Dak Prescott, who is the highest-paid player in NFL history, is the only NFC East QB without a conference championship appearance