Faithful Flashbacks #15: Mr. Relevant

Faithful Flashbacks No. 15 revisits Brock Purdy’s first NFL start, a win over Tom Brady that changed the 49ers’ season.

Aug 20, 2026, 8:00 AM Updated: 12:00 pm

Watch: Guy Haberman on 49ers Defense, CMC Concerns and Brock Purdy | 18 mins

In honor of the San Francisco 49ers celebrating their 80th anniversary, Sactown Sports is kicking off a countdown of the 80 greatest moments in the franchise’s illustrious history in reverse order called Faithful Flashbacks.

From Super Bowl-winning plays to overperforming teams that had minimal expectations, there’s plenty to choose from on the team with five titles under its belt.

The voting was conducted by a handful of Sactown Sports’ staffers before results were compiled into a full list that will count down to the 49ers’ 2026 NFL regular season debut against the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, on September 10th.

Faithful Flashbacks -- San Francisco 49ers 80 Best Moments

Coming in at No. 15 on our ‘Faithful Flashbacks’ countdown of the 80 best moments in franchise history is Brock Purdy’s first NFL start.

The 49ers did not plan on Purdy being part of the story in 2022. Trey Lance entered the season as the starter, Jimmy Garoppolo returned as the backup after an offseason where it looked like he might be gone, and Purdy was the rookie third-string quarterback taken with the final pick in the draft.

That usually means waiting, developing and maybe never getting a real chance at all. For Purdy, the path changed because the 49ers’ quarterback situation kept getting hit. Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, putting Garoppolo back in the starting job. Then Garoppolo went down against Miami, forcing Purdy into a game the 49ers still managed to win.

His first start came the next week against Tampa Bay, which made the setting feel much bigger than a normal debut. Purdy was not just starting for the first time. He was doing it at home against Tom Brady, the quarterback every young player at the position had been measured against in some way.

The 49ers did not need Purdy to carry the entire game, but they also did not treat him like someone they had to hide. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 185 yards, threw two touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown in a 35-7 win. The offense looked steady, the defense controlled the game and San Francisco left with one of its cleaner wins of the season.

The Brady angle made the day easy to frame. Purdy became the first quarterback to beat Brady in his first career start, which is the kind of note that immediately sticks to a player’s story. But the bigger part for the 49ers was that Purdy looked capable of keeping the season alive.

That became more important as the weeks went on. San Francisco kept winning, Purdy kept the offense on schedule and a team that had already lost two starting quarterbacks still reached the NFC Championship Game.

His first start did not answer every long-term question, but it changed the tone of the season. The 49ers went into that game hoping their rookie quarterback could hold things together. By the end of it, Purdy had become one of the main stories of the year.

More Faithful Flashbacks from Sactown Sports

Upcoming San Francisco 49ers Schedule

Late July 2026 – NFL Training Camps open
Thursday, September 10th – vs. Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia (Season Opener) – 5:35 pm PT
Sunday, September 20th – vs. Miami Dolphins – 1:25 pm PT
Sunday, September 27th – vs. Arizona Cardinals – 1:05 pm PT
Sunday, October 4th – vs. Denver Broncos – 1:25 pm PT

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