Even if Jimmy Garoppolo is cleared to play, Brock Purdy of the 49ers will start the rest of the playoffs.

This season, the San Francisco 49ers have switched around a lot at the quarterback position due to injuries, starting with third-overall pick Trey Lance in 2021 (fractured ankle), moving back to veteran Jimmy Garoppolo (broken foot), and now using third-string rookie Brock Purdy (selected in the seventh round). The changeover went well, as evidenced by the 49ers’ 10-game winning run that included five victories with Garoppolo as the starter and five more with Purdy in the lineup to close out the regular season.

According to NFL Research, the 2022 49ers hold the distinction of being the only team since the 14-0 Miami Dolphins in 1972 to have consecutive five-game winning streaks under different quarterbacks thanks to their success. That club went from Earl Morrall to Bob Griese.

According to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, even if Garoppolo is allowed to return by the NFC Championship or the Super Bowl, San Francisco’s quarterback merry-go-round will come to an end for the remainder of the season, even though the good times are still rolling with Purdy in charge. In the event that Garoppolo is able to return, it will be as Purdy’s backup. Garoppolo began Super Bowl LIV for the 49ers, who fell to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The 49ers’ offense, which averaged 33.6 points per game from Weeks 14 to 18, and which included the final choice in the 2022 NFL Draft co-leading the NFL in throwing touchdowns, suggests that the decision was a wise one. In a player’s first five starts since at least 1950, his 119.0 passer rating is second only to Hall of Famer Kurt Warner’s 131.4 rating.