San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has had a pretty insane career. He went from being the last guy selected in the 2022 NFL Draft to a starter in the Super Bowl less than two years later. He’s now clearly San Francisco’s franchise quarterback and has his sights set on even more ultimate prizes ahead.
While he’s been branded as a “system quarterback” by his detractors, Purdy has made plenty of plays in his NFL career to refute that label.
Let’s break down the five best plays from his career so far.
No. 5: TD pass to Brandon Aiyuk vs. Commanders (2023)
When Purdy gets out of the pocket, I often find myself begging for him to throw the ball away. He rarely does as he seemingly always tries to make a big play down the field.
That’s exactly what he did back in 2023 against the Washington Commanders.
On 3rd-and-long, Purdy scrambled wildly and rolled out to his right as he directed wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to get to the back left of the end zone and fired a perfect pass to Aiyuk for a touchdown:
Purdy magic for the TD 🪄 pic.twitter.com/R4ghcBWMUj
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) December 31, 2023
It was Purdy at his most creative and risky, and it paid off to great effect as the Niners clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC with that victory.
No. 4: TD pass vs. Buccaneers to Christian McCaffrey in 1st career start (2022)
When Purdy made his first career start against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a rookie in 2022, expectations were not high. He had played well the week prior after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury, but it was more than fair to wonder how a third-string quarterback would fare.
Purdy played phenomenal as he completed 16 of 21 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns. The most memorable one came when San Francisco was already up 14-0. Tampa Bay blitzed Purdy, and he hung in there to deliver a perfect 27-yard back shoulder pass to Christian McCaffrey in the end zone.
That was one of those early throws that made everyone realize Purdy was someone special.
No. 3: TD pass vs. Buccaneers to George Kittle (2024)
Back in 2024, the Niners were banged up badly, and Purdy was not out in the best position to succeed. He had to make things happen on his own, and he made one really special play against Tampa Bay to George Kittle:
Facing pressure, Purdy rolled out left and got a perfect throw off in the back corner of the end zone to Kittle, who caught the ball with a toe-tap catch for a touchdown.
It was a perfect throw at the perfect time.
No. 2: Throw to Jauan Jennings vs. Packers in playoffs (2023)
This throw was not a touchdown, and it actually didn’t even lead to the Niners scoring on the drive back in early 2024 against the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs.
Yet, it was still one of the most impressive throws Purdy has ever made.
On third down and under pressure, Purdy threw an absolutely perfect pass that he layered over one defender while not overthrowing it to wide receiver Jauan Jennings, who brought it down for a catch:
This is art. pic.twitter.com/pNkshtWyxI
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 22, 2024
San Francisco was trailing at that point, and it was a rainy, messy game in which both Purdy and the 49ers didn’t have their best stuff.
He still made a money throw when he needed it, which shows he is not afraid of those huge moments.
No. 1: Brock Purdy juke to Kyle Juszczyk TD vs. Bears (2025)
Late in 2025, the 49ers were humming on offense. Probably the Niners' masterclass came against the Chicago Bears in Week 17. It was an offensive shootout, and Purdy played great, completing 24 of 33 passes for 303 yards with three touchdowns and one pick.
One of those touchdowns was the most memorable one of his career. He rolled out left on play action and made two Bears defenders miss with some jukes before hitting wide-open fullback Kyle Juszczyk in the end zone:
BROCK ARE YOU KIDDING!? 🤯pic.twitter.com/7FsBaHfMpj
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) December 29, 2025
Then he showed off some more impressive moves by flashing his dance skills. Purdy was absolutely feeling himself during that game, so hopefully we get to see more of that side of him going forward because it'll mean he’s balling out.
Purdy’s career has already been remarkable so far, and he is just getting started. One hopes he will add even more incredible plays to his highlight reel over the years.
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