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Javon Hargrave had perhaps the best season of his seven-year NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022.
Hargrave had a career-high 11 sacks and helped anchor a defense that led the Eagles to the Super Bowl where they eventually fell to the Kansas City Chiefs.
He then parlayed that into a four-year, $84 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers played the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game this past season and are expected to be a contender again in 2023. Philadelphia rolled past San Francisco in that game, 31-7. But San Fran played much of the game without star rookie quarter Brock Purdy, who suffered an elbow injury early in the contest.
Purdy then had elbow surgery that will keep him out for an extended period of time.
It’s impossible to say whether the Niners would have won the game with Purdy healthy. But Hargrave claims that the injury definitely changed the complexion of the game.
“We kind of knew it was going to be different when all you can do is run the ball,” former Eagles defensive tackle Javon Hargrave said Friday during a KNBR interview, “when both quarterbacks go out, and you know exactly what you’re trying to do. Of course, it made it a lot easier for us.”
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“Trust me, we’ve seen the film on Brock escaping,” Hargrave shared. “We knew it was going to be a challenge trying to get to him, so it would have been, definitely, a different game if he had stayed up.” – via 49erswebzone.com
Hargrave stopped short of saying that San Francisco would have won. He didn’t even say it would’ve been closer. But Eagles fans took exception to the comments either way.
He’s right. Instead of a 24 point game it MAY have been 17. Hargrave is such a clown. https://t.co/had52kst7G
— Kevin (@K_Cyl) March 20, 2023
If the Niners gave me $90 million I too would start lying about this. https://t.co/MciIAd0S19
— Tyles (@tylesgampa) March 20, 2023
I have no choice but to respect hitting the ground running this hard with the pandering https://t.co/MIsJIBOAkL
— not matt (@PanasonicDX4500) March 20, 2023
LOL WHAT???????
I think you mean the NFC Championship would've been completely different if Kyle Shannahan had a brain.
The glorified XFL QB getting hurt didn't make a difference. 🤡 https://t.co/bO3xiIWPye
— Bryan🙏 (@iBelieve4498) March 20, 2023
Brock Purdy likely gives the 49ers a better chance to move the ball than Josh Johnson. But who can really say?!