NFL Fans Can’t Get Enough of Brock Purdy and His Surprising Success

Also in Traina Thoughts: another roughing-the-passer disaster; Derek Jeter and Eli Manning have a diaper-changing battle; NBA team does the wave and more.

1. Brock Purdy came on the scene three weeks ago when he had to take over as Niners quarterback because of an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s already become one of the most popular players in the NFL.

Sports fans love a Cinderella story, and having the last pick of this year’s draft take over a team that has a legit chance to win the Super Bowl is as Cinderella as it gets. Especially when he plays well.

Plus, people seem to really get off on saying “Mr. Irrelevant.” It’s like those random sports facts that people constantly bring up as if it’s news. Like Todd Frazier once stood next to Derek Jeter during a game as a kid and then he became a Yankee. Or “Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Harvard.”

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Part of the appeal of Purdy’s story is that he’s just a 22-year-old rookie who looks 16, but plays like he’s 30.

In his three games since taking over for Jimmy G (all wins), which includes two starts, Purdy has completed 58 of 84 passes for 612 yards while throwing six touchdowns, rushing for another and throwing just one interception.

All this means Purdy is becoming a cult-like figure in the NFL world. Here’s a roundup of how social media is reacting to the NFL’s newest star.

Brock Purdy was excused from 8th period Spanish to hop on the bus and try and lock up the division in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/cLCOX9zK94

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) December 15, 2022

Never forget Brock Purdy singing Friends in Low Places at Outlaws back in the spring pic.twitter.com/AStfjQqW3i

— Andrew (@Ajohnson_45) December 16, 2022

GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE AND ESPECIALLY BROCK PURDY https://t.co/E7ePC3jXKt

— Wide Right & Natty Lite (@WideRtNattyLt) December 12, 2022

BROCK PURDY pic.twitter.com/SzMj2X8sJ7

— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) December 11, 2022

this is some of the most disrespectful shit I have ever seen. Kyle Shanahan just put the Seahawks linebackers on a Brock Purdy Ball is Life mixtape. pic.twitter.com/3zbNurQOxl

— J r u e (@thatl0calguy) December 16, 2022

RT if @brockpurdy13 deserves a ratings increase 📈@49ers | #Madden23

pic.twitter.com/2t2IFzKYHB

— Madden NFL 25 (@EAMaddenNFL) December 16, 2022

We are witnessing Brock Purdy’s ORIGIN STORY live and I’m ALL IN.

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 16, 2022

Really thought Brock Purdy would come back to reality this week.

- banged up
- short week
- first road game
- hardest place to play
- facing desperate team
- no Deebo

NO PROBLEM

— Chris Hassel (@Hassel_Chris) December 16, 2022

Brock Purdy has crushed Tua’s MVP hopes, outplayed a 7x Super Bowl champ, and spoiled Geno’s comeback story all within 12 days of each other.

Thoughts and prayers go out to Taylor Heinicke 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/fGPVciNNbE

— OutCYde the Lines (@OutCYdetheLines) December 16, 2022

Brock Purdy (+1000) now has the 5th highest odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year 👀pic.twitter.com/NB3OnZtmK7

— Covers (@Covers) December 16, 2022

2. On Monday, I wrote that Sunday's Chargers-Dolphins game featured the worst roughing-the-passer call of the season. The refs clearly wanted to make the competition for the honor, tough, so they gave us this gem last night.

“Roughing the passer” https://t.co/ajuTH3pq4U

— PFF (@PFF) December 16, 2022

3. Derek Jeter was a guest on Eli Manning’s internet show, and at the 13-minute mark the duo had a competition to see who could change a diaper, double-knot a pair of sneakers and make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich the fastest.

4. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen players join fans in doing the wave before, but that’s what happened Thursday night when Grizzlies players got in on the action while they were blowing out the Bucks.

Grizzlies bench hit the wave mid-game during their blow out win 💀 pic.twitter.com/HWxGWlBREV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 16, 2022

5. ESPN is going all out for the two College Football Playoff semifinal games that will be played Dec. 31. Each game will have nine different telecasts that you can tune into.

6. The newest SI Media Podcast features three segments.

The show begins with a conversation with Sports Illustrated’s Jon Wertheim about longtime colleague Grant Wahl, who tragically died at 49 while covering the World Cup. Wertheim talks about Wahl's love of soccer, his rise at SI and the kind of person Grant was.

Following Wertheim, Greg Olsen from Fox Sports joins the podcast to talk about his first year as the network’s lead NFL analyst, what it’s like having Tom Brady waiting in the wings to take his job, what he said to Brady when he saw him earlier this season, what he’d like to improve about his broadcasts, his partnership with Kevin Burkhardt and much more.

Following Olsen, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment. This week, we weigh in on a couple of fantastic Bill Belichick stories, Twitter's new checkmark system and the stress of holiday tipping.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Saw this video about old Pirates manager Jim Leyland and his temper on TikTok last night and had to share it because it’s so good.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.