Brock Purdy's most meaningful opponent isn't a Rival — it's the Miami Dolphins

This is interesting.

AP FILE PHOTO

Brock Purdy's most interesting matchup isn't against his hometown Cardinals. It isn't division rivals Rams or Seahawks, and it isn't the Eagles or Chiefs in January/February. It's the Miami Dolphins — and the reasons run deeper than most people realize.

The obvious part

Purdy made his NFL debut against Miami, thrown into the fire when Jimmy Garoppolo went down in Week 13 of the 2022 season. The 49ers came in at 7-4, leading the NFC West and sitting third in the conference.

It was already a marquee game. Miami arrived as the AFC's No. 2 seed, and Mike McDaniel was back in Santa Clara to face Kyle Shanahan, the man he'd spent years working under.

I had my brother and cousin over that afternoon, carne asada on the grill, enjoying some adult beverages in anticipation of this matchup.

Then Garoppolo went down, and the mood was silent. It felt like the season had ended right there. How does a team with Super Bowl expectations compete in the NFC with its third-string quarterback — a seventh-rounder, Mr. Irrelevant? Forget the season; trailing 7-3 to an explosive Miami offense, it felt unrealistic for that afternoon alone.

Instead, that was the day we all learned Purdy was more than his draft slot. San Francisco won 33-17, and Purdy finished 25-of-37 for 210 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Garoppolo got credit for the win in the record book, but Purdy won the day — and eventually the job, not just from Jimmy but from an injured Trey Lance too.

Number 13

Purdy doesn't wear 13 because it was assigned to him or because it was the best number available. He wears it because he grew up a Dolphins fan idolizing Dan Marino because of his father.

Very cool how Brock Purdy got to meet his idol, Dan Marino, before the Dolphins-49ers game, as the CBS broadcast showed.pic.twitter.com/Nby1AeFl0K

— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) December 23, 2024

Miami had a chance to make that a full-circle moment for Purdy and his family. Instead, 15 picks before the 49ers took him, the Dolphins selected Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson. Purdy threw more touchdown passes in his debut against Miami than Thompson has thrown in his entire career.

McDaniel would later acknowledge that Purdy had been on Miami's radar during that 2022 draft. They knew. They just didn't pull the trigger.

Bottom line

Mike McDaniel says Brock Purdy was on the Dolphins’ radar during last year’s draft pic.twitter.com/Mrafd1eDEm

— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) March 27, 2023

Purdy's career is going to be tied to the Dolphins more than to any other franchise. Every 49ers fan remembers where they were when he stepped on the field that day, and every Dolphins fan is going to remember taking Thompson over the kid who grew up idolizing and watching YouTube highlights of Marino. It's the same ache 49ers fans carry over drafting Alex Smith instead of Bay Area kid Aaron Rodgers.

Now Shanahan just needs Purdy to finish the story his idol never could, and bring home a Lombardi.