"Mr. Irrelevant" is now an All Star - and part of a special duo
NFL teams have 261 chances to secure the services of Brock Purdy in 2022 - and the playmaker is spurned 261 times until the San Francisco 49ers take him. Since then, the quarterback has been writing a unique success story and is now reaching the next big mark.
Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa will start at the NFL Pro Bowl for the first time in their careers as quarterbacks. The American football league announced the two squads for its annual All-Star format. On February 4, the all-star teams of the AFC and NFC conferences will play in Orlando according to flag football rules, as they did last year. This version of football is basically non-contact and tackles are not allowed.
Purdy, who was the 262nd and final player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, earning him the title of "Mr. Irrelevant", is one of nine San Francisco 49ers players nominated for the Pro Bowl. No other team is sending more players to the All-Star Game. The 49ers are currently the best team in the National Football Conference. Tagovailoa plays for the Miami Dolphins, currently the second-best team in the American Football Conference.
Together, Purdy and Tagovailoa form a special duo: it is the first time since the 1999 season that both starting quarterbacks have been selected for the Pro Bowl for the first time. Back then, current Pro Football Hall of Fame players Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner led their teams onto the field as Pro Bowl debutants. Fans, players and coaches voted in the All-Star ballot. Former quarterback stars and brothers Eli and Peyton Manning will serve as coaches of both All-Star teams, just like last year.
"Special, special player"
The Pro Bowl nomination is a new highlight for Purdy, who entered his first NFL season as the third-string quarterback with no prospects of making a significant impact and then went on to write an incredible success story after injuries to the 49ers' regular playmakers. The 49ers, for whom quarterback legends such as Joe Montana and Steve Young collected titles, had not sent a playmaker to the All-Star Game since 2002, and now it's time again.
Purdy made his NFL debut in December 2022, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the great Tom Brady. And Purdy rolled over the Bucs, 35:7 in the end - and Brady had lost a game to a debutant on the other side for the first time ever in his career.
Prior to last week, Purdy had produced 4,280 passing yards on the season, surpassing former playmaker Jeff Garcia in passing yards in a single season in franchise history.
"He's coming in here and continuing to play the type of football that he knows and that he's going to continue to play," wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk said of his quarterback, who was a 261th overall pick in the 2022 draft. "Because he's a special, special, special player." If everything goes smoothly, the season will not end with the Pro Bowl for the nine 49ers professionals: The Californians, who were the first team in the league to qualify for the playoffs ahead of time, are considered favorites to participate in the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. This takes place one week after the All-Star spectacle.
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Source: www.ntv.de
