Brock Purdy has gone from last pick in the NFL draft to the future of the San Francisco 49ers as they now prepare to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl this weekend in what is Purdy’s first full year as starting quarterback. 

But after suffering a devastating injury to his throwing arm in last year’s NFC Championship game, there was a period of time when the Niners were forced to look outside. 

Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates while running to the tunnel after beating the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship NFL football game at Levi’s Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Santa Clara, California.  (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told NBC’s Peter King in a story published Monday that the Niners were “serious” about their pursuit of seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

“I remember him saying, ‘If we can get Tom Brady, we’re going to try to get him.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s the GOAT. I get it.’ But something deep down inside me was sort of like, ‘Dude, I just showed you that I can play well in this system. And we were one game away from the Super Bowl.’ … More than anything, I was like, ‘OK, now let’s go,'” Purdy recalled. 

But it all worked out in the end. According to King, Brady said no, and Purdy was healthy enough to start this season. 

Purdy will have the chance to prove himself further when San Francisco and the defending Super Bowl champions face off in Las Vegas on Sunday night. 

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Paulina Dedaj is a Sports Reporter for Fox News Digital.