Why Brock Purdy gave Arik Armstead, 49ers confidence after stepping into starting role
Brock Purdy’s teammates believed the rookie quarterback could play in the NFL—maybe sometime down the road after gaining some experience. On December 4, 2022, Purdy was thrown into the fire and had to show he could play in the NFL after replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo. Purdy became the San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback and was a big part of why the team reached the NFC Championship Game for the third time in four years.
No one expected Purdy to have the kind of rookie campaign he had. Despite rarely getting on the football field during the first 12 weeks of the season (18 snaps, nine pass attempts), the young quarterback came in third for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The 23-year-old looked like a savvy veteran who had played years in the league.
Defensive lineman Arik Armstead is among those who admit he didn’t predict such an impressive season out of the rookie quarterback.
“But I would say this, the way he carried himself gave us some confidence, and the way he carried himself with confidence,” Armstead said this week on FOX Sports Radio’s Covino & Rich show. “And he was assertive, so we knew he had something different about himself. And then he went out there and started making plays and helping us win games, and everybody kind of saw for themselves.”
Who knows what could have happened had Purdy not suffered a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow in the NFC Championship Game? Maybe it would be the 49ers, not the Philadelphia Eagles, preparing to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 on Sunday.
The fact that the 49ers managed to keep winning with their third quarterback on the depth chart is a testament to the roster’s talent and depth.
“I think if any other team’s starter would have got hurt, [they would have said] the season’s over with,” Armstead added. “But not us. Our starter got hurt. Our backup got hurt, and we’re still winning games.”
