San Francisco 49ers teammates spoke to Mirror U.S. Sports about Brock Purdy's three-interception performance against the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football
18:21 ET, 26 Nov 2025Updated 18:21 ET, 26 Nov 2025
Purdy threw three interceptions on Monday despite the win
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Brock Purdy threw three interceptions on Monday despite the win over the Panthers(Image: Getty)
Brock Purdy walked off the Levi’s Stadium field Monday night with a win — and one of the ugliest stat lines of his NFL career.
Three first-half interceptions in his second game back from a turf toe injury would normally be enough to sink a team’s playoff push. Instead, his San Francisco 49ers teammates are making it clear they’re standing firmly behind their quarterback.
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The 49ers beat the Carolina Panthers 20-9 on Monday Night Football, improving to 8–4 and staying in the NFC playoff picture. Christian McCaffrey torched his former team with 142 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown, while the defense bailed out the offense by repeatedly slamming the door on short fields created by Purdy’s turnovers.
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All three of Purdy’s interceptions came on consecutive first-half possessions, including one where Panthers corner Jaycee Horn undercut a late throw. Yet the 49ers adjusted after halftime, leaning on safer concepts and the run game to close out the win.
On the other side of the ball, safety Ji’Ayir Brown delivered a breakout performance with two interceptions of Bryce Young, while a shorthanded defense, already missing stars like Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, held Carolina without a touchdown.
Purdy, who missed time earlier this season and briefly ceded starts to Mac Jones, is still playing his way back into rhythm. But in the locker room, there was no hint of doubt from his teammates.
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Star wideout Ricky Pearsall, running back Brian Robinson Jr., and safety Malik Mustapha all spoke to Mirror U.S. Sports after the game and strongly backed their quarterback’s mentality and makeup.
“Football is a mental game. Nobody ever wants to go out there and do that, obviously,” Pearsall said when asked about Purdy’s rough first half. “Brock’s a competitor, so when things are going that way, it’s frustrating. But he does a really good job of flushing those bad plays — that’s just who he is.
“For me, I just try to do my job the best I can for him and encourage him if I can, but honestly, he doesn’t really need that. He’s pretty motivated no matter how the game is going. He’s also a man of faith, so he has something external he can lean on.”
Pearsall has three touchdowns in his NFL career
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Ricky Pearsall has three touchdowns in his NFL career(Image: Getty)
Robinson, who has joined a crowded backfield headlined by McCaffrey, framed it as a test every player faces at some point.
“It can be hard or it can be easy,” Robinson said. “If you’ve got guys around you who keep you motivated and help you put it behind you, then it’s easier. It’s hard when you let yourself dwell on it and don’t move on from those plays.”
Mustapha, part of the defensive group that repeatedly answered sudden-change situations after Purdy’s interceptions, said the unit fed off those moments instead of sagging.
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“I’m not going to lie — today I was fired up. We get to be back on the field again,” Mustapha said. “Things are going to happen, but as soon as that happens, I’m like, ‘All right, defense, let’s stop them.’ It’s not about dwelling on it. Just go out there and play our brand of defense. Once we do that, it doesn’t matter if we get pinned down in the red zone, it doesn’t matter if another pick happens.
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“We’re not going to get demoralized by it. We’ve got to keep our hands up, keep fighting. We’re not going to settle down for anybody, especially not at home. We’ve got guys who want to fight and keep fighting. Body shots are going to hurt, but we’ve got to keep getting up. I’m just happy we were able to overcome that, and we’re all going to put this together soon. It’s going to get scary.”
Purdy’s three interceptions won’t disappear from the box score, but neither will the way his teammates rallied around him. Inside that locker room, belief carried more weight than mistakes.