How Passing on Patrick Mahomes in 2017 Eventually Led to 49ers Picking Brock Purdy
Super Bowl LVIII features a marquee quarterback showdown between a former top-10 pick and two-time NFL MVP in Patrick Mahomes, and a draft-day afterthought who has skyrocketed to stardom in Brock Purdy.
Despite their diametrically opposed draft routes in different years, the NFL journey for these two signal-callers has actually been intertwined.
That's because, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Kansas City Chiefs didn't spend much time considering Mahomes at the top of the 2017 NFL Draft, in which they held the No. 2 overall pick. This is because the 49ers were planning to sign veteran Kirk Cousins in free agency the following offseason, per Schefter.
Passing on Mahomes set in motion a series of now-fortunate events that eventually led to the selection of Purdy with the last pick in the 2022 draft, as Schefter points out:
In hindsight, the 49ers would still probably have preferred taking Mahomes at No. 2 instead of trading back one spot for defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (so the Chicago Bears could take Mitch Trubisky) but landing a Purdy with the last pick two years ago isn't the worst consolation prize.
