The San Francisco 49ers were left in a bad spot after they made a massive trade to take Trey Lance in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft just to watch him start four games and appear in eight games over two years.
Luckily, the 49ers struck gold in seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft, as Brock Purdy was able to take over as the team’s starting quarterback and has looked capable in the role.
After four seasons in the NFL, Purdy has made a Pro Bowl and brought his team to the NFC Championship twice and Super Bowl once. That’s a fair amount of success for a seventh-round selection.
While every quarterback wants to win a Super Bowl in their career, a select few need to hoist a Lombardi Trophy to cement their legacy. Where does Brock Purdy rank among quarterbacks who need the Super Bowl win the most?
CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo put Purdy at No. 13.
“Two years after leading the 49ers to an NFC title, Purdy signed a contract extension befitting a top-tier quarterback. But if Purdy wants to truly be considered elite, he needs to help the 49ers end their 32-year championship drought,” DeArdo wrote. “Ironically, Steve Young, the 49ers’ quarterback the last time San Francisco won it all, faced a similar narrative prior to 1994. Young responded by winning his second league MVP. He also won Super Bowl MVP honors after throwing a record six touchdown passes during San Francisco’s blowout win over the Chargers. Can Purdy write a similar story in 2026?”
These are the quarterbacks ranked above Purdy in needing a Super Bowl for their legacy:
San Francisco added a few new offensive weapons for Purdy to throw to this year, which should help him out, but the team really needs to stay healthy and needs to see the defense perform better than it did at points during their 2025 campaign.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: How much would 49ers winning Super Bowl affect Brock Purdy’s legacy?
Reporting by Mike Masala, Niners Wire / Niners Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Masala, Niners Wire | USA TODAY Network
