Ex-Panthers HC Matt Rhule discloses he wanted to draft Brock Purdy before he got vetoed out

Rhule reportedly had his eye on Brock Purdy during the 2022 NFL Draft.

Ex-Panthers HC Matt Rhule discloses he wanted to draft Brock Purdy before he got vetoed out

Brock Purdy and Matt Rhule (Image via IMAGO)

Brock Purdy was the 262nd pick, meaning he was the last player to be taken in the 2022 NFL Draft. As a result, Purdy landed the title of “Mr. Irrelevant.” However, if former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule had his way, the situation would have been very different.

Rhule, now with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, revealed during a recent press conference that he could have brought Purdy to Carolina. He told the Panthers front office that the 24-year-old Iowa graduate was a good prospect. But they shot his proposal down the drain.

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When I was in the draft room at Carolina, I brought his [Brock Purdy] name up. “I said, ‘Hey guys, he should be on the draft board.’ I got vetoed on that one.
Rhule said.

Brock Purdy and Matt Rhule’s career trajectory since the 2022 NFL Draft

Instead of listening to Rhule and signing Purdy, the Panthers decided to draft Matt Corral out of the Ole Miss Rebels in the third round. Corral suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot in the preseason, and the Panthers placed him on injured reserve.

Ex-Panthers HC Matt Rhule discloses he wanted to draft Brock Purdy before he got vetoed out
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 California (Image via IMAGO)

The 25-year-old missed his rookie season and was later waived off during the final 53-man roster for the 2023 season. He then ended up in Boston with the New England Patriots, but was relieved and then re-signed to the practice squad. However, the Patriots eventually decided not to give Coral a contract.

As for Matt Rhule, the Panthers sacked him after 1 win and 4 losses in 2022. Before that, he was in Carolina for two seasons, never achieving a positive record. He finished his time with the Panthers with an 11-27 record (.289). The following year, Nebraska hired him, and he had a 5-7 record in the inaugural year.

Brock Purdy, on the other hand, trended in a completely different direction. After the designated quarterbacks of the San Francisco 49ers suffered injuries, they turned to Purdy. He repaid them by winning all five games, leading them to the NFC title game, which they lost after he wasn’t able to throw a pass following a tear in his shoulder.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan thought about replacing him with retired Tom Brady, but he had to backtrack following a miraculous deadline-day recovery from Purdy. He resumed where he had left off in the previous year.

In the 2023 campaign, Purdy led the 49ers to a 12-5 regular season record, bagging the #1 seed in the NFC. Unlike his rookie year, a healthy Brock Purdy led Shanahan’s men to a 17-point comeback win over the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game, sending the team to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2019 season.

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