Brock Purdy was about unheralded as they come when he entered the league, earning the infamous "Mr. Irrelevant" moniker when the San Francisco 49ers selected him with the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Little did they know at the time he would be central to the coming years and now a major transitional period for the franchise.
The Niners are not rebuilding but have certainly retooled their roster heading into 2025. They let a significant number of starters depart during the offseason while locking down a core of veterans and surrounding them with a young crop of talent.
Purdy's extension was central to this movement and priority No. 1 heading into the offseason. Last week, the Niners and their quarterback came to terms on a five-year, $265 million deal to cement his future with the team.
Since being forced into action, Purdy has done nothing but progress under Kyle Shanahan's tutelage, establishing himself as a winner with his performance. That has not stopped the ridiculous "system quarterback" criticisms from opposing fans.
Purdy has not maid much mind to that nonsense and has instead flipped it into a positive for himself, as he told Bay Area radio station 95.7 The Game this week.
"Yeah, the whole system quarterback thing, early in my career, it was just funny hearing that," Purdy said. "And I'm not gonna lie, I took that as, all right, I'm a guy that can come in, and do what the coach says, and win games because of that. So, to me, that was more of a compliment, and I've sort of ran with that.
"But, I don't know, outside of that, I don't buy into really anything that anyone says. That's been the story of my life, from being a late recruit from high school to college, to the last draft pick, that's the story of my life."
Purdy has no reason to buy into the musings of his critics either. In his short tenure, he has powered two runs to the NFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl appearance.
While he has proven that he can do it, the objective now becomes proving he can continue to do it. The Niners are counting on him to be the same guy blocking out the noise.
With a new contract, those distractions can grow a little louder. But as long as the production on the field and the wins keep coming, those lazy criticisms will matter less and less.
