There were several big injuries that shook the NFL and its fans on Sunday. Perhaps none bigger than the broken foot sustained by 49ers Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, thrusting a seemingly unknown backup into a starring role.

At the conclusion of this year's NFL Draft, the 49ers selected Iowa State Quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy was the final selection of the entire draft, and the player picked in that spot has been affectionately known as 'Mr. Irrelevant.'

Following the draft, fans questioned if Purdy would even make the 49ers roster, much less see action.

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After the early injury this season to 2nd year signal caller Trey Lance, Purdy became the #2 option behind veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.

Now with Garoppolo on the shelf for the remainder of the season, Purdy was thrust into a starring role on Sunday, and will be presumably for the remainder of the season.

He passed his first test, guiding the 49ers to a big win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday 33-17. Purdy finished the game 25 of 37 passing for 210 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. Not bad for someone nicknamed 'Mr. Irrelevant.'

The former standout at Iowa State, Purdy will now take a leading role in getting the 49ers back to the postseason. It won't be easy as San Francisco will have to fend off Seattle for the NFC West division crown, along with all of the other teams looking to take their spot as a potential wild card.

At Iowa State, Purdy was a 2-time 1st-team All-Big 12 pick, and guided the Cyclones to their best season in recent memory in 2020, which included a win in the Fiesta Bowl and a 9-3 overall record.

We'll see what's ahead for Purdy and the 8-4 San Francisco 49ers, but he will surely have a lot of fans cheering him on from back in Cyclone country.

Sources: Brock Purdy Wikipedia and ESPN.com

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