The San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy came back and beat the Detroit Lions and Jared Goff in the NFC championship on Sunday, but the heartbreaking loss didn’t stop the veteran quarterback from sharing his admiration for the second-year player.
Even though Goff was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft and Purdy was “Mr. Irrelevant,” the last pick in the 2023 draft, the respect between the two playoff quarterbacks was apparent after the game.
A video captured by NFL Films after the game showed the quick, but memorable, interaction between the two quarterbacks.
“What a good baller, man,” Goff said to Purdy. “Love what you stand for. Good luck.”
"Love everything you stand for."
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 30, 2024
Cool to see respect between first and last picks in the draft ???? pic.twitter.com/9QvekA2RlY
The Lions starter likely was referring to Purdy’s unlikely path to becoming the 49ers’ starter. He was the third-string quarterback when he began his rookie season, but ended the year by taking the team to the NFC championship. As the full-time starter this year, he led the team all the way to the Super Bowl.
Goff knows what it’s like to play in a Super Bowl early in his career, as he led the Los Angeles Rams to Super Bowl LIII in the 2018–19 season.
The 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
