Adam Schefter narrates wild story involving Patrick Mahomes of how Brock Purdy ended up at the 49ers

Adam Schefter disclosed how passing on Patrick Mahomes led to 49ers drafting Brock Purdy.

Adam Schefter narrates wild story involving Patrick Mahomes of how Brock Purdy ended up at the 49ers

(L) Brock Purdy, (R) Patrick Mahomes and Adam Schefter (Image via IMAGO)

There are always a lot of unheard stories related to drafting a player that later becomes big headlines. ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently revealed one such story related to the San Francisco 49ers drafting Brock Purdy.

The Iowa graduate entered the NFL Draft in 2022, but it was set in motion five years earlier, in 2018. Patrick Mahomes was part of that draft class, but unlike many other franchises, the 49ers weren’t too keen on the Texas Tech alumnus.

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During a recent appearance on the ‘Pardon My Take‘ podcast, Schefter revealed that Kyle Shanahan wanted to reunite with his former Commanders quarterback, Kirk Cousins, who was set to enter free agency. 

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In the draft where the 49ers in 2017 had the second overall pick, Patrick Mahomes was in that draft. They didn’t do any work on him because they thought the following offseason Kirk Cousins was leaving Washington.
Schefter revealed

As a result, they only settled on signing CJ Beathard after trading up to select him in the third round. Beathard wouldn’t be the starter because the 49ers wanted Cousins to assume that role after acquiring him in the offseason. However, here comes a massive twist.

The 49ers drafted Brock Purdy

The New England Patriots rang, offering Jimmy Garoppolo in exchange for late-round picks. Shanahan accepted the offer, and their pursuit of cousins remained unfulfilled. Beathard became the backup to Garoppolo for four years, and the 49ers got a compensatory draft pick once the University of Iowa product left.

Adam Schefter narrates wild story involving Patrick Mahomes of how Brock Purdy ended up at the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) holds the George Halas Trophy while after winning the NFC Championship football game against the Detroit Lions at Levi’s Stadium. Santa Clara Levi’s Stadium (Image via IMAGO)
In 2017, the only quarterback that they did extensive work on and wound up trading up for in the third round, they moved up to take C.J. [Beathard]. He left after four years and signed with the Jaguars. The 49ers got a compensatory seventh-round draft pick. They took Brock Purdy [in 2022 as the last pick of the draft].
Schefter said

Initially, not many believed in Purdy, but he proved: never to judge a player by his draft number. The 24-year-old has blossomed into a fine NFL-caliber quarterback. He led the 49ers to back-to-back NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance earlier this year.

Purdy finished fourth in the NFL MVP race last season. He also set the 49ers single-season record for passing yards. With him being one of the lowest earners in the league, there have been talks of a hefty raise. And even though general manager John Lynch wants to, he admitted Purdy’s low wage bill has helped him extend other player’s contracts.

Back in 2021, Shanahan was asked whether he would have liked to draft Mahomes. He said, as per the 49ers webzone,

Hell Yeah. I wish I could go back and have Patrick Mahomes. I think every other coach on the planet feels the same.

Well, that stance might have changed after witnessing the rise of Purdy. For now, he is focused on getting married before the 2024 offseason begins.

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