SANTA CLARA -- Rookie Brock Purdy entered Sunday’s game with the 49ers trailing 7-3 just 5 1/2 minutes into a marquee matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
Purdy played well enough in relief of starter Jimmy Garoppolo for the 49ers to earn an emotional 33-17 victory at Levi’s Stadium.
Still, that was not enough for the 22-year-old Purdy.
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SIGN UP HERE “I'm excited that we won, first and foremost,” Purdy said following the game. “But for my myself, I expect a lot out of myself and so I know you can say it's my first time going in a meaningful game and trying to win and everything.
“But for me, man, I'm a perfectionist.”
Purdy completed 25 of 37 pass attempts for 210 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
The 49ers’ season now is in his hands after Garoppolo sustained a fractured left foot and will require season-ending surgery.
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“I’m definitely a guy that wants to do right all the time,” Purdy said. “And just because we won, it doesn't mean I'm on Cloud 9. I want to get better, and I have to for this team moving forward.”
There were nine quarterbacks selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Not only was Purdy the last of the quarterbacks taken, but also he was the 262nd and final pick, period.
Yet, when he was summoned from the sideline to take over on Sunday with a four-game winning streak on the line, Purdy may have felt some nerves, but he looked unfazed and as if he belonged.
“Brock came in and made some big plays,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He's got some balls out there.”
Purdy earned a spot on the 49ers’ 53-man roster this summer after beating out Nate Sudfeld in training camp. The 49ers kept three quarterbacks after Garoppolo signed a reduced contract to remain with the team.
Starting quarterback Trey Lance experienced what the team still calls a season-ending injury, and now Garoppolo is out, too.
Purdy’s practice time during the regular season has consisted primarily of running plays as the scout-team quarterback. He takes the plays of the opposition and executes them against the 49ers’ first-team defense.
That experience alone has been valuable.
"He’s played against the best defense in the league for the past 13 weeks,” 49ers linebacker Fred Warner said. “He’ll be fine."
The 49ers lead the NFC West with an 8-4 record, and their playoff chances might have taken a big hit with Garoppolo’s injury.
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But in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s victory, the 49ers seemed to believe their goals for the season remain intact with Purdy at quarterback.
“You know he’s going to slam the ball, throw it and fit it wherever he can,” 49ers receiver Brandon Aiyuk said. “He’s super confident and that confidence bleeds into us that we have in him. We’re ready to go.”