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: 2:52 pm

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 11: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers talks with Tom Br...

Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers talks with Tom Brady #12 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the game at Levi's Stadium on December 11, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. San Francisco defeated Tampa Bay 35-7. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

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.

Purdy wasn’t part of the plan as the 49ers were headed into the 2022 season. Trey Lance entered the season as the starter and future at the position. Jimmy Garoppolo remained as the backup after an offseason where it looked like he might be gone, and Purdy was the rookie third-string taken with the final pick in the draft.

Players drafted in that spot could not make it out of training camp, especially at the quarterback position where so few spots are held.

For Purdy, opportunity arose quickly as 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, forcing Purdy into a game.

The rookie looked comfortable stepping into the action and helped secure that win.

His first start came the next week at home against Tampa Bay and Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of this generation and potentially of all time.

With plenty of dynamic offensive threats, the 49ers did not need Purdy to carry the game, but they trusted him to make some reads.

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, and Purdy’s first regular-season win was officially against Brady.

Purdy became the first quarterback to beat Brady in his first career start. The most impactful part for the 49ers was that Purdy looked capable of keeping the season alive and stepping into that vacancy.

That became more apparent 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 changed the tone of the season. Going against one of the best to ever do it, Purdy looked like he belonged. It was the beginning of the 49ers realizing he could be their long-term starter rather than Lance.

The rise of Mr. Irrelevant becoming ‘Mr. Relevant’ is deserving of a spot on our Faithful Flashbacks countdown as one of the better stories in all of football.

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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