NBC Sports Bay Area first reported that ex-Panthers coach Rhule intended to choose Purdy before the team’s veto.

In a parallel universe, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy might not be preparing for Super Bowl LVIII right now.The 2022 NFL Draft’s “Mr. Irrelevant” has guided the 49ers to the big stage in his first full season as a starter, but things could have gone differently.

Former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule said Wednesday that he wanted the team to choose Purdy but was “vetoed.”

Matt Rhule, the Panthers’ head coach, was very interested in picking Brock Purdy.

“In the draft room at Carolina, I mentioned his name. I suggested he be on the draft board. I got vetoed on that.

“I think Brock Purdy is an amazing player,” Rhule stated at a press conference as Nebraska’s head coach. “When I was in the draft room in Carolina, I mentioned his name. I remarked, ‘Hey guys, he should be on the draft board.’ I was vetoed on that one.

Rhule was Baylor’s head coach from 2017 to 2019, and he met Purdy when he was at Iowa State. In 2019, Baylor defeated Purdy’s Cyclones 23-21 to go to 4-0, while Iowa State fell to 2-2. Purdy completed 27 of 42 throws for 342 yards, two TDs, and one interception.

Rhule was hired by the Panthers in 2020, and the team did select a quarterback in the third round of the 2022 draft: Matt Corral of Ole Miss.

Corral was one of six players selected in Carolina’s 2022 class, however he sustained a Lisfranc injury in preseason and never played a single snap. He last appeared for the New England Patriots in 2023.Rhule’s ties to Purdy and the 49ers do not stop there. After San Francisco defeated Carolina 37-15 during the 2022 season, the Panthers fired Rhule amidst Carolina’s 1-4 start. Steve Wilks, the current 49ers defensive coordinator, was chosen the Panthers’ interim coach at the time.