What 49ers told Brock Purdy at halftime after his 1st-half struggles

Whatever the 49ers told Brock Purdy at halftime worked.

Nov 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) rushes the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

It’s safe to say the San Francisco 49ers missed their chance to put the game to bed in the first half.

But after Brock Purdy threw three interceptions in the first half, the second time in his career, he made amends for those mistakes as the 49ers defeated the Carolina Panthers 20-9.

The message to Purdy in the locker room clearly did the trick, because he was more efficient in the second half. And although it wasn’t as high-scoring as the 49ers would have expected with a fully fit offense, the win still boosts their playoff chances.

Brock Purdy reveals the encouragement he received

Nov 24, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers during the first half at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Purdy’s performance was far from the player he was the week before, when he was firing on all cylinders.

His string of interceptions left the defense to pick up the slack, and to their credit, they limited the Panthers to only a field goal until the end of the third quarter.

But by halftime, the 49ers only had a one-possession advantage, putting them under increasing pressure for the second half if things didn’t improve, which led to some halftime motivation from the veterans to kick on.

"No, just everybody, man, Juice [FB Kyle Juszczyk], [TE]George [Kittle], all the guys coming up to me and they just keep telling me, keep slinging it, don't lose your confidence. And they all got my back," he revealed post-game to reporters.

"So, it was just everybody, there wasn't like one guy that said something in particular. So, the vibe around the locker room is everybody showing love and they got our backs and you go through tough things, but like I said, we're all in this together. So, love our locker room, love our team, and we're good."

While concerns about execution are valid, Kyle Shanahan defended Purdy’s decisions, saying the problems came down to missed throws.

"Yeah, you've got to think about all of them and why it's happening. It makes me a lot more hesitant if they're all bad decisions and stuff," he shared.

"But, he was seeing it right. They were all really good decisions. He just missed the throw on them.

"So, I think it is a lot worse when you feel like he's not making the right decisions."

This performance is likely a one-off. After all, the front office paid him the big bucks to lead the organization in this new era for the 49ers.

But Purdy must not let this performance knock his confidence.

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