Kyle Shanahan drops sarcastic Brock Purdy joke after 49ers win – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

The 49ers began their 2026 NFL season with a 4-0 record following their 24-14 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. It was a tough win, but once again the offense got the job done. Brock Purdy passed for two touchdowns in the winning effort and shined in the second half after struggling to get things going in the first two quarters.

Kyle Shanahan reflected on Purdy’s performance, cracking a sarcastic joke about his quarterback after the win.

“Yeah, I grabbed him and said, ‘Don’t throw any more incompletions,'” Shanahan jokingly told reporters when asked about Purdy’s second-half turnaround. “And he listened. I should have told him at the beginning. No, I think he looked better. He didn’t get shot, and I think he looked better and was great out there.”

Purdy and the 49ers couldn’t get anything going offensively in the first half, tied 3-3 at halftime. But the team was strong in the second half. Purdy threw his first touchdown in the third quarter, connecting with Deebo Samuel on a 1-yard pass.

Purdy’s second touchdown of the game ended up being the nail in the coffin. Leading 17-14 with just over two minutes left, he found George Kittle for a 56-yard touchdown pass. The 49ers took a 24-17 lead after Eddy Piñeiro converted on the extra point. Purdy spoke about the 49ers’ second-half performance, praising the team’s ability to make adjustments.

“There were a few plays and little details that took away from our practice and didn’t result in getting the first down,” Purdy told reporters. “It felt like we were moving the ball and stuff, but we were hurting ourselves with the little things. For us to get going in the second half, yelling Siran Neal getting that punt, getting the ball back for us and then making us score, it was good.

“We wanted to break through anything, and it was really just ourselves. Glad we could get some momentum in the second half. But I mean, that’s why it’s a four-quarter game. You start really well and don’t finish well, or you can start slow and finish well. That’s the game we play.”

Purdy has had a dominant start to the season and is already in the NFL MVP conversation. In four games, he had 1,007 yards, 11 touchdowns and just one interception in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams. He has thrown multiple touchdowns in every game this season and scored a rushing touchdown in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins.

Purdy and the 49ers will face their toughest test yet next week, taking on the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on the road. But if he can continue to play at a high level and elevate the offense like he has been, it will be an interesting matchup in the NFC West.

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