Christian McCaffrey just hilariously responded to Brock Purdy criticism
Every San Francisco 49ers fan watching the Monday Night Football game against the Carolina Panthers was just waiting for this one to be over. The positives were mostly on the defensive side of the ball as the Niners came away with what ended up being an ugly win.
A week after returning from injury, quarterback Brock Purdy turned the tables on his box score. Last week, Purdy tossed three touchdowns in his first game since Sept. 28.
Against the Panthers, though, he threw three interceptions -- all coming in the first half.
After the game, running back Christian McCaffrey was asked by reporters if he says anything to Purdy following the mistakes he made during the game. His response was hilarious -- but right on point.
"No, absolutely not," McCaffrey said. "He's as poised (as they come) ... nobody needs to tell him anything. It's like, if I make a mistake or I have a drop, you know, somebody says, 'catch the ball!' It's like, I just want to knock them out."
Christian McCaffrey isn't having the Brock Purdy overreactions and neither is Kyle Shanahan
"There's really nothing to say. It's a long game and anything can happen. You don't say anything to him," McCaffrey finished.
McCaffrey wasn't the only one who didn't seem fazed by Purdy's missed throws. Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't seem thrown off when he spoke to sideline reporters at halftime, and he wasn't thrown off after the game.
“He just had three throws he’d love to take back. They were all three good decisions. He was just a hair late on them, and when you’re a hair late on stuff, you can’t throw it behind them. He threw it behind them, and all three guys made him pay," the head coach told reporters.
This is definitely the right mentality to have, for now, at least.
The obvious question becomes, if Purdy continues to struggle like this, do the 49ers go back to Mac Jones?
Boy, would that be quite a scene.
In the end, Shanahan isn't afraid to do what's necessary. He has always abided by the rule that you play the best players, regardless of draft pedigree or how much is on each paycheck. He plays no favorites, and 49ers fans have to love and respect that about him.
Hopefully, this was just an anomaly and Purdy is able to bounce back. If not, we'll have a real situation on our hands.
Could CHI Cubs Pivot From Kyle Tucker Pursuit to Tarik Skubal Trade Soon?
This week, a Chicago Cubs insider made the case for why the club should pursue a trade for Tarik Skubal this winter and let Kyle Tucker walk in MLB free agency.
The 2025 season was a big step forward for the Cubs. After a pair of 83-79 seasons, the franchise needed to finally prove they have evolved into a real threat to the NL Central’s top team, the Milwaukee Brewers. Without a doubt, Seiya Suzuki and Pete Crow-Armstrong played a big role in their 92-win campaign. However, it likely doesn’t happen without the addition of Kyle Tucker in the offseason.
Did the four-time All-Star disappoint in the second half? Sure, but what he was able to bring over the first few months is why The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney suggested on Tuesday, Chicago is probably satisfied with their trade for Tucker. Even though it’s likely they will lose him in free agency in the coming weeks.
The Cubs have the financial resources to match any offer the star outfielder gets this offseason. However, considering the likely price and the aforementioned second-half slump, it’s logical that Tucker is one-and-done in Chi-town. So what could the team do to fill that void and stay in title contention next season? Well, the obvious assumption would be to go get a big bat, but maybe not.
Should the Cubs pivot to an all-in trade for Tarik Skubal now?
“Trading for Tarik Skubal would be another way to look at the situation if the Cubs were hellbent on trying to win the 2026 World Series,” Mooney writes. “Coming off a 92-win season and five electric playoff games at Wrigley Field, the Cubs should have the requisite resources and sense of urgency to make a deal for one of the best pitchers on the planet.”
Skubal is expected to garner a contract worth over $400 million after the 2026 season. Mooney points out the Cubs only have a few players on the books in 2027. Meaning, they have more than enough free money to give the two-time Cy Young winner whatever deal he wants.
The Cubs insider also pointed out that Chicago had just one pitcher in the recent Baseball America ranking of their top 10 prospects. They don’t have impact arms on the way, so they will keep having to outsource to improve that position. So why not do it by going after the best in the game, who is just entering his prime?
“For a multibillion-dollar franchise, making Skubal the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history could be a smart investment,” Mooney wrote.
The other question is, do the Cubs have the prospect assets to get a trade done? The top prospect in their system, Owen Caissie, barely landed in the top 50 of MLB.com’s rankings of the best in all of baseball right now.
