Is Brock Purdy playing tonight vs. Arizona Cardinals? Update on 49ers QB ahead of Sunday's showdown

Brock Purdy came into his rookie NFL season with the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" due to being the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. With a week left in the regular season, Purdy is the furthest thing from irrelevant that you could think of.

Purdy has stepped into the starting quarterback role in San Francisco as he's the number one pick of his draft class and is currently unbeaten as a starter in the NFL. His performances are so good that some fans have forgotten that Jimmy Garoppolo was having a career season and Trey Lance is their QB for the future.

Rather, those fans champion the cause that the 49ers' front office hand over the keys to Purdy once and for all.

As such, Purdy will play tonight versus the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18 of the 2022 NFL season. This will mark Purdy's ninth appearance of the season and his sixth start of the season.

The 23-year-old will be up against a banged-up Arizona Cardinals side, missing their franchise QB, Kyler Murray, amongst other top-notch starters. The game is a winnable one, and it should serve as a nice tune-up for the 49ers as they warm up for a possible deep playoff run.

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Brock Purdy's Fantasy Outlook

Brock Purdy started off this season with the lowest odds among active NFL QBs playing in 2022. Why? Because there seemed to be no route for "Mr. Irrelevant" to get some reps in the crowded San Francisco QB room. There was a second-year stud and a high draft pick, Trey Lance, one of the best prospects in his Draft class.

Then there was Jimmy Garoppolo, a two-time Super Bowl winner and a QB that led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance a couple of years back. What chance did Brock Purdy have at getting a couple of snaps at QB?

Well, football works in remarkable ways, and Purdy got the starting job based on the injuries sustained by Lance and Garoppolo at different stages of the season. Since then, the Iowa State University alum has not looked back.

Purdy will certainly be calling the shots for San Francisco's season finale versus the Arizona Cardinals, as the 49ers will look to secure a top-two seed with the potential of the number-one spot if the Philadelphia Eagles ultimately lose their third straight game. He'll remain a strong QB2 for fantasy reasons.

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How is Brock Purdy performing this season?

Brock Purdy has had a dream debut in the NFL. It isn't likely that he could have dreamt of a better rookie year. Purdy has steadied the ship at the 49ers, and the side has looked unbeatable since he took over at center.

Take that information however you wish to, the fact is that he's balling out, and the San Francisco 49ers have major decisions to make in the off-season.

Purdy has a solid statistical database in his rookie year and will be looking to add to that number in Week 18 of the 2022 NFL season. He is putting up a stat line of 1,196 passing yards, ten touchdowns, and four interceptions in eight games this season.