The 49ers' Brock Purdy has become a sensation of sorts, as Mr. Irrelevant 2022 has gone 5-0 for the 49ers since Jimmy Garoppolo went down with a foot injury. Purdy is the third quarterback the 49ers have started this year, and he's been nothing if not successful in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Garoppolo had foot surgery and was ruled out for the 2022 regular season, but the door has been left open for a potential playoff return. Shanahan told reporters at the time there was an "outside chance" of a return late in the postseason, but it would probably mean the 49ers have to make it to championship weekend, at least.
The question, however, goes beyond that. If Garoppolo is able to return, would the 49ers want to move off the hot hand in the middle of the playoffs? It's an uncommon practice, but far from unheard of, particularly when moving onto a veteran presence.
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The 49ers have been able to succeed no matter who has been under center this season. The question is who gives them the best chance for success when the pressure turns up for San Francisco?
The Sporting News looks at Purdy vs. Garoppolo, along with which option would be better for the 49ers to stay with under the condition Garoppolo's condition improves.
Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Brock Purdy stats
At a basic level, here's a look at Garoppolo vs. Purdy's stats in 2022:
| Player | Record | COM/ATT | COM% | YDS | TD | INT | RTG | Y/A |
| Jimmy Garoppolo | 7-3 | 207/308 | 67.2% | 2,437 | 16 | 4 | 103.0 | 7.9 |
| Brock Purdy | 5-0 | 114/170 | 67.1 | 1,374 | 13 | 4 | 107.3 | 8.1 |
The quarterbacks' numbers are fairly comparable. Garoppolo and Purdy both ended their years on five-game winning streaks, meaning the 49ers were scorching hot no matter who was under center. Their intended air yards were just 0.1 yards apart this year, so Shanahan didn't change the depth of target with Purdy in place.
The big questions for these two, of course, will be who opens the field more and, more important, who gives the 49ers the best chance to win?
Garoppolo completed 8 of 28 passes of 20-plus yards for the 49ers, with a touchdown and an interception. Purdy, by contrast, completed 5 of 13 for four touchdowns and one pick. Three of those touchdowns came on the left side of the field, grading Purdy out much better there.
Where Purdy starts to set himself apart is in the intermediate game, where George Kittle has really taken over. He's completed 31 of 39 passes in the 10-19 yard range, with two interceptions and three touchdowns. Garoppolo was 37 of 59, with seven touchdowns and two picks.
Brock Purdy & George Kittle (33-yd TD)
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 24, 2022
🔹 Target Separation: 8.1 yds
🔹 Yards After Catch: 27
🔹 YAC Over Expected: +16
Kittle has gained +734 YACOE since the start of 2018, 2nd in NFL, regardless of position (behind only teammate Deebo Samuel, +773).#WASvsSF | #FTTB pic.twitter.com/005ImHRPkY
While there's no question Purdy has been helped along by circumstance, he's also seized every opportunity he's been given.
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Jimmy Garoppolo playoff experience
Obviously Purdy has no playoff experience, so there isn't a comparison to be made here.
In his last two appearances with the 49ers, however, Garoppolo has been solid in the playoffs.
He has a 5-2 record, having lost in the Super Bowl in the 2019 season and the NFC Championship Game last year. However, he has battled turnover woes, throwing six interceptions to four touchdowns in seven starts, and completing an uncharacteristically low 60 percent of his passes.
He has an interception in every playoff start save for the NFC Championship Game in 2020 against the Packers.
While those numbers aren't particularly heartening, they're still experience for Garoppolo. Purdy is a complete unknown heading into these playoffs.
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Verdict: Would the 49ers replace Purdy with Garoppolo?
The answer here is really extremely boring: It depends.
If the 49ers win the wild card and divisional rounds by the skin of their teeth, riding on their defense, then if (and it's a big if) Garoppolo is 100 percent, he would likely get the nod in the NFC championship game.
If Purdy, however, continues to play an ultra-efficient game free of mistakes, they'd likely continue to ride the arm that would, in that hypothetical, be 7-0 as a starter. Replacing Purdy just for the Super Bowl is very likely a non-starter.
It's an almost-unique situation, as you have two quarterbacks with extremely comparable stats, with the only differentiator between them being experience. Given Garoppolo's pedestrian postseason numbers, would the 49ers want to toss him back into the fray? That's up to Shanahan to decide.
However, Shanahan's verbiage at the time of Garoppolo's injury can also be divined. He did say Garoppolo could return. But it's possible he didn't account for Purdy being as efficient as he's been.
Regardless of quarterback, the 49ers have made it clear they're a legitimate contender. Shanahan has done his finest coaching job yet so far this season to keep them toward the top of the NFC. We'll now see what he has in store for the playoffs, particularly with such an inexperienced quarterback entering such a high-pressure situation.
