Before Brock Purdy Got The Nickname, This Ex-Chiefs Star Got Branded as “Mr. Irrelevant”

Brock Purdy stands at the brink of a remarkable narrative in professional football. As the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, he faces Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, with the potential to secure the Niners’ first Lombardi Trophy since the 1994 season. Furthermore, despite the 49ers, he’s also leading the legacy of the nickname ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ on his shoulders.

In the history of the NFL Draft, the term ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ was born in the 1976 NFL Draft, christening Kelvin Kirk as the last person selected each year. He was a wide receiver from Dayton, now part of an FCS program. Kirk holds the unique distinction of being the inaugural ‘Mr. Irrelevant’. And right before Purdy was given the name, there was another legend who donned the name every time he entered the field.

The legendary predecessor of Brock Purdy

When the Kansas City Chiefs made Ryan Succop the final pick in the 2009 NFL draft, he inherited the renowned title. However, Succop’s career has defied the notion of irrelevance, especially when he found himself on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, defeating his former team, the Chiefs, in Super Bowl LV.

Succop not only became the first ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ in NFL history to play on a Super Bowl-winning team but also the second to grace the grand stage. Now, if Purdy manages to defeat Succop’s former squad, the Kansas City Chiefs, he would become the second ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ to become the Super Bowl champion. Succop, after sitting out the 2022 season, has etched his name in NFL history. He participated in 216 games—the highest tally for any Mr. Irrelevant in the NFL Draft.

His journey encompasses stints with the Kansas City Chiefs (2009-2013), the Tennessee Titans (2014-2019), and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020-2022). As the former South Carolina kicker, Succop boasts an impressive career, with a field goal success rate of 82.9% and an extraordinary 96.1% accuracy on extra points. Furthermore, Purdy could also very well grab the ‘first’ title in the long accolades achieved by all the past ‘Mr. Irrelevants’.

Purdy might pave his own path

If Purdy manages to achieve the impossible by defeating the football star Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl LVIII, he’ll step into an exclusive club of ‘Mr. Irrelevants’ who secured a Super Bowl victory. This select duo currently comprises Marty Moore and Ryan Succop. Moore, a special teams player, became the inaugural ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ to play in the Super Bowl XXXI with the New England Patriots.

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Despite losing to the Green Bay Packers in 1997, Moore later became the first ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ to clinch a Super Bowl title when the Patriots triumphed over the St. Louis Rams in 2002. Then, the legendary Succop held the mantle. Now it’s all up to Brock Purdy’s performance on Sunday. Furthermore, he’ll become the first-ever ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ quarterback to become the Super Bowl champion, if he wins against the Chiefs.

It’s to be seen if he can mark the legacy of his nickname in the books of history or not. What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.

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