Brock Purdy threw four interceptions in the San Francisco 49ers’ loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 25, 2023, at Levi’s Stadium, leading some to say he’s fallen out of the NFL MVP conversation.
Loren Elliott/Getty Images
But while it was already bad enough getting shellacked in a massive spotlight game, there was one further twist of the knife for the Niners: the NFL’s YouTube account.
The NFL posted multiple clips of Purdy’s four interceptions from Monday’s 33-19 loss to the Ravens, but none had as inflammatory of a title as the clip of the fourth and final pick: “BROCK PURDY THROWING AWAY THE MVP.”
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SFGATE reached out to the NFL to confirm whether the league switched the title of the video highlight. It did not respond by the time of publication.
But usually, the clip titles don’t dunk on a specific player, especially one as ascendent as Purdy, who just last week got a highlight package from the NFL’s account titled “Purdy for MVP?” But twice on Monday, the NFL YouTube account called out Purdy directly when he made a mistake, rather than crediting the opposing player who made the good play. (The title of the clip of Purdy’s second pick was “Brock Purdy giving gifts to Ravens DBs.”)
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Admittedly, the NFL’s original title is not wrong. Purdy’s MVP odds swung sharply with his underwhelming effort on Monday (18-for-32, 255 yards, no touchdowns, four interceptions), falling from being the clear favorite to as low as fifth at some sportsbooks. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is now the favorite, with even 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey considered to have a better shot at the MVP award than Purdy.
But hearing that from the general public or the various sportsbooks is one thing. The league’s official YouTube channel pointing that out probably adds to the sting just a little bit more.