5 overreactions to 49ers’ embarrassing start to 2022 season

Overreaction No. 1: Start Brock Purdy over Jimmy Garoppolo

What’s the saying? “The most popular player on a struggling team is the starting quarterback,” right?

Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t look good in Week 3. That’s a statement. And while he looked OK enough during Week 2 after relieving Trey Lance, what Garoppolo offered in that game wasn’t vastly different than the maximum of what he is typically expected to deliver.

In short, Garoppolo is a game-managing system quarterback at best, and he’s always prone to making crucial mistakes in clutch moments, such as that fourth-quarter interception tossed against the Broncos.

So, why not toss in San Francisco’s rookie quarterback, Brock Purdy?

Alright, Purdy showed some promise during the preseason. But “Mr. Irrelevant,” the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, was also going up against backups and many a no-longer-employed player during his three exhibition bouts.

And defenses during those games weren’t exactly scheming either.

Purdy might have some long-term promise as a solid backup. Yet he’s far closer to what the 49ers experienced with their former backup from 2018, Nick Mullens, than an actual answering call to relieve Jimmy G.