San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan downplayed any concerns that quarterback Brock Purdy's struggles in Sunday's 26-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars were tied to the toe injury that sidelined him the past two weeks.
Purdy, returning for the first time since Week 1, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble as the previously unbeaten 49ers were undone by four costly turnovers at Levi's Stadium.
"We've all got to do better," Shanahan said postgame. "He had some good plays today, but we've all got to do better [than] today."
One of the turnovers particularly stood out to Shanahan: a pass tipped by Christian McCaffrey and intercepted by linebacker Devin Lloyd. The coach initially thought it would result in a 49ers touchdown.
PICK! The @Jaguars defense with their 11th takeaway of the season
JAXvsSF on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/DiLw6dv8mj
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2025
Shanahan's assessment of Purdy
Shanahan emphasized that Purdy is fully healthy and not to blame alone for the offensive breakdowns.
"I saw some inconsistency with our whole offense," Shanahan said. "Moved the ball, but really killed ourselves on four different turnovers. Two were fumbles and two were picks. One was off a tip. One was just out of reach of Christian, is what it looked like. He was waiting for him to get through there. The guy was grabbing him, so it took a little bit longer than usual, and it just sailed on him a bit.
"And I thought the other one got tipped, but made some plays, had a chance to win it at the end. It looked like they got through on that last blitz, but he's just got to protect the ball there."
Purdy takes accountability
Purdy didn't shy away from responsibility, acknowledging that the multiple turnovers defined the outcome.
"We can't do it. It's the NFL," Purdy said. "And it starts with me throwing better balls and being smart with the ball. And so, I think it really starts there, and I just got to be better. But outside of that, as an offense, it's something that we harp on every single day, and our team knows it.
"Offense needs to protect the ball, defense needs to go take it. That's our thing. And so, today, the offense, we just didn't succeed in that area. It hurts. It's the NFL, man. If you give the ball away like that, teams are going to capitalize on it, and the Jaguars did."
On the pass intended for wide receiver Jauan Jennings, which was tipped at the line before being intercepted, Purdy said he thought he could fit it into the tight window.
Regarding the health of his toe, Purdy said, "I felt good. I thought I was able to go out and play quarterback, and give our team a chance, and so, that's that."
Purdy appeared to be overthrowing his receivers in practice last week, and that seemingly carried over into Sunday's game.
"Obviously, I'm going to watch this film, look at my mechanics, and be real with myself, and try to fix that," Purdy said.
Looking ahead
Purdy finished 22-of-38 for 309 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Despite the loss, he and the 49ers will need a quick turnaround with a short week ahead before facing the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
"Any Thursday night game is always a little tough when you only have three days really to get ready," Purdy said. "... It's not easy. But I know we can do it. We've done it before, and we're all hungry.
"The vibe in that locker room is we just want to get out and play again, and clean things up. So, we're going to take it one day at a time."