Brock Purdy is preparing to lead the San Francisco 49ers into the Super Bowl after an MVP-caliber campaign, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the quarterback.

While speaking to the media ahead of the Super Bowl this week, Purdy said that he wasn’t simply handed the starting job: he had to legitimately prove himself first.

“The keys weren’t just given to me or anything, it had to be earned,” Purdy said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “Coming in Day One, just trying to learn Kyle’s system, his playbook, and earn the respect of my teammates. over time I’ve been able to step into that role and be ready for my opportunity. At the same time, I have a lot of help around me, and it’s allowed me to develop, and I’m going to continue to develop with the help and the cast I have around me.”

That’s for sure.

Purdy even revealed in an ESPN article several weeks ago that the 49ers initially tried to convince Tom Brady to join the team to assume the role of starting quarterback last offseason, and head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed as much just days ago.

Needless to say, Purdy delivered this season, throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 69.4 percent of his passes and posting a league-high passer rating of 113.

But the 24-year-old isn’t finished.

“There’s a lot more room for me to grow,” added Purdy.

Purdy, who played his collegiate football at Iowa State, was selected by San Francisco with the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

He certainly isn’t Mr. Irrelevant anymore.

Brock Purdy and the Niners will take on the Kansas City Chiefs for all the marbles this Sunday.

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