Brock Purdy will lead the San Francisco 49ers into the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia on Friday, with the quarterback’s remarkable rise from “Mr Irrelevant” set to take centre stage at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The 26-year-old is now in the second year of a five-year contract worth $265 million (£198 million), including $182 million guaranteed. His reward for becoming San Francisco’s franchise quarterback is an opening-week test against two of the most formidable defensive players in the league.
The Los Angeles Rams are expected to unleash Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald together for the first time. Garrett, acquired in the biggest trade of the NFL off-season, is a 6ft 4in (193cm), 19st 5lb (123kg) pass rusher whose speed and power make him a constant threat to opposing quarterbacks.
Donald, meanwhile, returned from a two-year retirement after Garrett’s arrival helped persuade the three-time defensive player of the year to resume his career. The 6ft 1in (185cm), 20st (127kg) former Rams star is yet to be officially confirmed for the game, although indications are that he will be cleared to play.
The psychological battle has already begun. A video of Garrett training with collision coach Billy Coffey, apparently preparing to “hit even harder”, circulated widely before the teams’ meeting.
Asked how he had been sleeping ahead of the challenge, Purdy laughed before insisting the prospect had not disturbed his rest.
“I’m still at eight hours, that’s a great question,” he said. “Those guys are really good players, and it will be fun to go up against them.”
San Francisco’s offensive line will have the responsibility of keeping the Rams away from their quarterback. Trent Williams, a 38-year-old veteran who has faced Donald regularly in the NFC West, offered a vivid description of the task.
“It’s like trying to catch a fish in water with your bare hands,” Williams said. “He’s very, very quick. He’s very, very fast and very, very explosive. He does an amazing job being able to clear your hands, get his hands on your pads and pull himself through.”
Brock Purdy’s journey from last pick to franchise quarterback
Purdy was selected 262nd and last in the 2022 NFL Draft, earning the traditional “Mr Irrelevant” label attached to the final player chosen. He was initially expected to fight simply to remain on the roster, but injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo opened the door to the starting job during his rookie season.
Since then, Purdy has established himself as the 49ers’ long-term answer at quarterback, leading the team to the Super Bowl in the 2023 season and earning a Pro Bowl selection. The contract extension signed in 2025 confirmed how dramatically his status had changed.
Williams said Purdy’s character had remained consistent throughout his rapid ascent.
“You look at the definition of leader – Brock Purdy’s picture is probably there,” he said. “He’s been a leader ever since he stepped on the field. ‘Mr Irrelevant’, [the] last pick in the draft, from playing with the threes to playing with the ones, he’s been the same person.”
“He commands the huddle, he never gets rattled, and some of the throws he makes under pressure are phenomenal. I’m excited for the Aussie fans who get to watch him.”
Purdy, who has spent the week in Melbourne with the 49ers, said the occasion represented the fulfilment of a childhood ambition.
“As a kid, I loved football and I watched the NFL, and wanted to be on the TV one day playing, throwing touchdowns and all that stuff,” he said. “I look up now, and I’m doing what I dreamed of as a kid.”
He added: “I don’t take it for granted. I still wear my heart on my sleeve, have a chip on my shoulder and play every day to play this game knowing that it’s not guaranteed tomorrow. I definitely enjoy every moment.”
The game will begin at 10.35am local time on Friday, September 11, a scheduling decision driven by the NFL’s American broadcast commitments. League officials remain confident the early start will draw a substantial crowd, pointing to Australia’s long-standing willingness to attend Test cricket matches beginning at a similar hour.
Brett Gosper, the NFL’s head of Europe and Asia-Pacific, said the MCG fixture represented a significant moment for the league’s ambitions in Australia, which it regards as a priority market.
“I was never in doubt myself that they would fill the MCG,” Gosper said, while refusing to rule out the possibility of a franchise being based in Melbourne in the future.
For now, the immediate focus is on Purdy and the threat posed by Garrett and Donald. The quarterback who was once considered an afterthought will be the central figure when the NFL makes its long-awaited Australian debut.
