Much has been said against Brock Purdy’s game. Some claim he is nothing more than a game manager for the San Francisco 49ers. But the stats he put up in his second NFL season are impressive. Likewise, remember what happened to the 49ers when he got injured during last season’s NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

But while the argument about Purdy’s worth with San Francisco remains a debate, what’s certain is that they might not get him without quarterback C.J. Beathard.

The 49ers selected Beathard in the third round of the 2017 draft. Two rounds later, the Niners took George Kittle, Beathard’s teammate at Iowa.

After four seasons with San Francisco, he signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2021 offseason. But with him signing with the Jaguars, the NFL deemed the Niners worthy of a compensatory pick for his departure.

Hence, the Niners got pick 262 of the 2022 draft, which they used for Purdy. While he was Mr. Irrelevant then, his relevance to the team’s success cannot be underestimated. He had 4,280 passing yards and 31 touchdowns during the regular season and helped the Niners complete comebacks against the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the playoffs.

Coincidentally, Beathard played college football for the Hawkeyes while Purdy suited up for the Iowa State Cyclones. The latter can add another Lombardi Trophy to the franchise’s collection if they defeat the Kansas City Chiefs.

A victory over Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions will help silence Purdy’s critics. It will also be an improbable story that is like a Hollywood script.

-Lance Fernandez