In 2004, the Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback, Tommy Maddox, was injured and replaced by untested rookie Ben Roethlisberger. The replacement never relinquished the job during an 18-year career in Pittsburgh that will land him in the NFL Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
In his first season as the Steelers starter, Roethlisberger led his team to 15 consecutive wins until he ran into a juggernaut in the AFC Championship Game led by another quarterback that got his start while replacing an injured starter. Roethlisberger’s only loss in his rookie season was to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the last leg before playing in the Super Bowl.
Brady had become the Patriots starter three years earlier when Drew Bledsoe was knocked out of a game against the New York Jets. Brady held the starting role in New England for nearly all of Bill Belichick’s seasons as head coach. When he met Roethlisberger in the 2024 playoffs, he was the reigning Super Bowl Champion and would capture his third of seven rings two weeks later with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
History, history, history. How does that make a difference this week when the National Football League kicks off their 2025 postseason?
Well, we have a parallel to the sterling careers of Brady and Roethlisberger who got starting roles after the quarterback in front of them on the depth chart was injured.
In 2022, rookie first round draft choice Trey Lance started the season at quarterback for the 49ers but broke his foot in a second week game. Eleven weeks later, Jimmy Garoppolo, who followed Lance into the starting role and led the 49ers to a position to earn a playoff spot, was injured in a December game against the Miami Dolphins.
That year, Lance was the first player taken in the draft by the 49ers, a draft position that required the 49ers to surrender, as it turned out, way too much in high draft picks to move up in the draft and a shot at taking Lance. In that same draft, the 49ers spent the last pick in the allocation of college talent to grab Brock Purdy out of Iowa.
Purdy took over the 49ers offense amidst the media suggesting that San Francisco should acquire a veteran quarterback to keep playoff hopes alive for Kyle Shanahan’s squad. Baker Mayfield was the leading candidate in the media, but the 49ers stuck with their rookie and well, the rest is history not unlike the rise to greatness enjoyed by Brady and Roethlisberger.
Purdy led the 49ers to eight straight wins including a pair of playoff victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys before a matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in the NFC Championship Game.
The dream season ended abruptly when early in the contest Purdy was injured and 49ers backup Josh Johnson was overwhelmed by the Eagles defense as Philadelphia rolled to a runaway home victory, 31-7.
In 2005, in his second season as the Steelers starter, Roethlisberger guided Pittsburgh to the first of two Super Bowl wins he would capture in his career. In his second season, Purdy led the 49ers to the Super Bowl, but unlike the Steelers in Super Bowl XL, the 49ers did not have the referees on their side and the Kansas City Chiefs staged a fourth quarter rally behind Patrick Mahomes to win the first of three Super Bowls led by the dynamic Kansas City quarterback.
Purdy’s date with Super Bowl destiny did not mirror the quick success enjoyed by Brady and Roethlisberger, but he has again led the 49ers into the postseason with another shot at the diamond studded ring. His first playoff challenge this year is back on the same field against the same team that he suffered that crippling injury in his rookie season. This time, it is the homesteading Philadelphia Eagles that are current Super Bowl Champions and looking to repeat the feat.
There is a problem with the possibility of the 49ers surviving this week. The 49ers have advanced to the postseason with guile and guts while overcoming numerous injuries that included having Purdy sidelined for eight games. They are still without their best two defensive players, Nick Boso and Fred Warner. After getting to the cusp of a top seed with an offensive war they won 42-38 over the Chicago Bears, San Francisco was completely shut down offensively last week in a home loss to the Seattle Seahawks, 13-3.
The home defeat last Saturday night drops the 49ers from the first to the sixth seed in the playoffs and a challenging contest on the defending champs home field. The 49ers opened as an underdog by a half-point more than a field goal, and while the public came in on San Francisco the wise guys hit the Eagles hard. The “smart” money action drove the Eagles favorite role from 3½ to 4½ points.
The wise guys don’t always win, but you wouldn’t want the record of betting against them.
Does that mean I’ll be on the Eagles this Sunday?
If I’m not, I’m betting in hopes the emotion of this 49ers team that has defied odds all year while overcoming more hurdles than an Olympic sprinter in that event, can down the champs on their home field.
It’s a longshot, but not out of the question.