What Jimmy Garoppolo's Recent Struggles Mean for Brock Purdy

it's important to remember that Jimmy Garoppolo had a historically great start to his career too, and as soon as he left the 49ers, he struggled big time.

Statistically, Brock Purdy has had one of the greatest starts to a career of any quarterback ever.

His passer rating is 111.4, his win-loss record is 17-4 and he already has gone to a Super Bowl, although he didn't win it. Still, the 49ers are prepared to make Purdy the highest-paid player in the NFL next year and their franchise quarterback for quite a long time, which seems like a no-brainer right now. But it's important to remember that Jimmy Garoppolo had a historically great start to his career too, and as soon as he left the 49ers, he struggled big time and now he's a backup quarterback on the Rams.

Anyone who has watched Purdy and Garoppolo play knows Purdy is better. He's more mobile, more accurate, more cerebral, more prepared -- just better. But once upon a time, Garoppolo was the highest-paid player in the NFL, because the 49ers and lots of people thought he would be a great franchise quarterback, which seems absurd in retrospect knowing what we know now.

But Garoppolo took over a team that was 1-10 without him and then won 18 of his next 21 starts. That was incredible. Purdy took over a team that was 7-4 without him -- the roster was loaded. So he had certain advantages Garoppolo didn't have.

Both Garoppolo and Purdy took over midseason for the 49ers. Both had instant success. Both got seriously injured early in their tenure with the 49ers. Both went to their Super Bowl in their first full season back from injury.

And then we know what happened to Garoppolo -- he got injured, he got figured out, he got replaced. The NFL caught up to his skill set and exposed his limitations quickly and ruthlessly.

Will the same thing happen to Purdy? We'll find out.