Relevance

As the parent of an athlete, I was always struck by the casual cruelty embedded in sports. Teammates and opponents mocked, players humiliated by coaches blind to their own considerable imperfections. So, the notion of “Mr. Irrelevant” in football doesn’t exactly surprise me. The term refers to the last player taken in the NFL draft. This year, the title fell on quarterback Brock Purdy, drafted by the 49ers out of Iowa State. (What are undrafted free agents who get signed called? Lucky, I guess.) At best, Purdy was expected to be a third-string quarterback. Instead, injuries have forced him onto the field, and a good thing for the 49ers. In his last four games, three of them starts, Purdy has thrown eight touchdown passes against two interceptions. San Francisco has won all four of those games, the second half of an eight-game winning streak. Some teams can fall out of bed and find a quarterback. Then, there are the Bears. Go, Brock, go. If you ever need a walkup song, consider “Cruel to be Kind.”