The San Francisco 49ers’ 2023 playoff run felt like a Hollywood script-right up until it turned into a quarterback horror story in the NFC Championship Game.
That season had all the makings of something special. Brock Purdy, the final pick in the 2022 draft-dubbed “Mr.
Irrelevant”-had risen from obscurity to become the 49ers’ unlikely hero. He wasn’t just managing games; he was winning them, keeping the Niners’ high-powered offense humming and giving fans real hope that this team could go the distance.
But then came the NFC title game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and everything unraveled.
Early in the game, Purdy suffered a UCL injury in his throwing arm, effectively taking him out of commission. With both Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance already sidelined for the season, the 49ers turned to veteran backup Josh Johnson.
That lifeline didn’t last long-Johnson was also knocked out of the game with a concussion. Suddenly, the 49ers were out of quarterbacks.
In a desperate move, they put an injured Purdy back on the field, unable to throw, just to line up under center and hand the ball off. The result was a lopsided loss and a bitter end to what had been an inspiring season.
But here’s where it gets really interesting: if the 49ers had somehow managed to pull off a miracle and beat the Eagles, they had a surprise plan in place for the Super Bowl. Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently revealed that none other than Philip Rivers was lined up to be their emergency quarterback for the big game.
“If the Niners had beaten the Eagles to advance to the Super Bowl that year, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan admitted this week that Rivers would have been their quarterback against the Chiefs,” Shanahan said. “He was always in there, but no one really knew. He was always ready if the moment happened.”
That’s right-Philip Rivers, the longtime Chargers quarterback who had retired after the 2020 season, was quietly on standby. He’d been out of the league for two years, but Shanahan had him in the wings, ready to suit up for one last ride if the 49ers needed him.
It’s the kind of “what if” that makes NFL history so fascinating. A Super Bowl appearance for Rivers, wearing red and gold instead of powder blue?
That would’ve been one for the ages.
Of course, the 49ers didn’t make it to that Super Bowl. But Purdy returned from his elbow injury the following season and led San Francisco right back to the big stage, proving that his 2023 breakout was no fluke.
As for Rivers? He finally made his return to the NFL last week at age 44, stepping in for the Indianapolis Colts in a game against the Seattle Seahawks. And in a twist of fate, his next matchup is against the very team that once had him waiting in the wings: the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s a full-circle moment that no one saw coming-and a reminder that in the NFL, the storylines are never truly finished.