Things were looking up for the 49ers heading into their Monday Night Football matchup against the Panthers.
Starting quarterback Brock Purdy and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall were both active for the second straight week after lengthy spells on the sidelines due to injury.
While the game started off well enough—the 49ers took their opening drive the length of the field that ended with Purdy throwing a touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings—it quickly went off the rails from there.
On San Francisco’s next three possessions, Purdy threw increasingly dumbfounding interceptions. Jaycee Horn was the first Panthers defender to get in on the action, picking off Purdy to leave Carolina in great field position.
Prime time players make prime time plays
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 25, 2025
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/M2ZZSppHXJ
The Panthers couldn’t turn the drive into points, but the defense stepped up once again on the 49ers’ next possession. This time it was Mike Jackson playing the hero, intercepting Purdy in the end zone on a pass intended for Pearsall.
Mike Jack takes it back
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 25, 2025
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/h8JKVO2loc
Again, the Panthers weren’t able to put points on the board, but Horn decided to go back for seconds a little early this Thanksgiving week.
2nd INT of the night for Horn
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 25, 2025
📺: ESPN pic.twitter.com/a79StaHeaC
Mercifully, the Panthers would finally eke a field goal out of the turnover this time. As the half came to a close, Purdy threw two more balls that were nearly intercepted, but he was able to keep his turnover total to three heading into the break.
Three picks in a half is never the stat line a quarterback is looking for, but it has to be especially frustrating for Purdy, who is just returning from injury and looking to make good on the five-year, $265 million extension he signed with the 49ers in the offseason.
Plenty of people questioned giving Purdy that amount of money when the deal was signed, and his poor placement and decision-making in prime time added some more fuel to that fire. Online, fans were quick to make their voices heard.
Brock Purdy must be AI because Silicon Valley investors sunk hundreds of millions of dollars into him and now they’re really insistent that he’s really good and useful and the rest of us are like uhhhhhhh idk it kinda feels like he messes up all the time
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) November 25, 2025
Brock Purdy on Monday Night Football pic.twitter.com/VtWPfwwe6P
— Ryan Linkletter (@blitzlink_) November 25, 2025
The Niners paid Brock Purdy $265 million pic.twitter.com/d5R0m4U4DJ
— 🌨️ (@NotLikeRuss) November 25, 2025
Mac Jones watching Brock Purdy pic.twitter.com/c5ULKE5koW
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) November 25, 2025
I don’t think Brock Purdy should be the QB in the second half
— Diante Lee (@DianteLeeFB) November 25, 2025
If Brock Purdy won the MVP the EPA boys tried to get him it would have been the darkest day in the history of the sport
— Lincoln Riley ran from a rivalry (@CokeSipper) November 25, 2025
Nothing better than Brock Purdy floating air biscuits over the middle until the end of time.
— Dan Hanzus (@DanHanzus) November 25, 2025
Despite the three picks, Purdy still had the 49ers in the lead heading into halftime. We’ll see if he can turn things around in the second half.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Fans Had Plenty of Jokes After Brock Purdy Threw Three First-Half Interceptions.
