Jordan Mason and Brock Purdy are two 49ers rookies already playing like grizzled NFL veterans. But they did experience one head-scratching moment -- their muffed handoff attempt in Week 11 -- that quickly morphed into a viral meme.
On Thursday night, the running back shared on his Instagram story a meme that cleverly compared that blunder to Mason and Purdy celebrating his fourth-quarter touchdown run in the 49ers' Week 17 overtime win over the Las Vegas Raiders last week.
Mason's 14-yard scamper against the Raiders marked his first career TD run. After crossing the goal line, Mason sprinted to the corner of the end zone with Purdy, pointing at the football that now is a proud souvenir representing a memorable milestone.
The botched handoff occurred during the 49ers’ 38-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals when Purdy relieved veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo early in the fourth quarter. Purdy, on his second snap of the night and 13th of his career, turned to his left and tried to hand the ball to Mason, who was expecting it on the other side. The rookie QB realized his mistake, tucked the ball in and plunged forward for a 5-yard gain.
It’s been a unique rookie season for both Mason and Purdy. Mr. Irrelevant Purdy and undrafted Mason both entered training camp buried on the 49ers' stacked depth chart. Injuries and trades, however, have them in positions to heavily contribute to the team's Super Bowl hopes.
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