Brock Purdy’s celebration against the Raiders drew plenty of attention, and he didn’t leave much mystery around it afterward.
After San Francisco rolled past Las Vegas 38-17 on Sunday, Purdy explained the thumbs-down he flashed after scoring on a one-yard run. The 49ers quarterback said it came in the heat of the moment, with the rivalry and a loud Raiders fan in mind.
“Just in the moment. Just the rivalry, obviously, between the Niners and the Raiders, and trying to get everybody going, and I see one Raiders fan sticking out and booing me, and I was like, ‘Nah, dude.' I was just having fun with it, so hopefully he understood that,” said Purdy in a media conference.
Brock Purdy on his thumbs down celebration against The Raiders:
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) November 12, 2026
“Just in the moment, just the rivalry obviously between the Niners and Raiders, and trying to get everybody going and I see one Raiders fan sticking out and booing me and I was like “Nah dude”. I was just having… pic.twitter.com/BJmC4ehqna
The gesture capped a strong day for Purdy, who went 17-of-25 for 232 yards and two touchdowns through the air and added the rushing score. It also helped push San Francisco back into the win column after its Week 7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the team’s first defeat of the season.
At 7-1, the 49ers remain tied with the Buffalo Bills for the best record in the NFL and continue to sit atop the NFC. The offense has been humming, and the defense has done its part too, giving up just 19.5 points and 291.9 total yards per game.
Purdy’s performance is also part of a bigger comeback story. The 26-year-old, who signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension in 2025, is trying to put last season behind him after a turf toe injury limited him to nine games. San Francisco finished 12-5 and was knocked out in the divisional round of the playoffs.
The 49ers head to Dallas next, with a Sunday matchup against the Cowboys on deck.
In Other News...
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What makes this one especially interesting in San Francisco is the overlap with Mike Evans, who is still working back from injury. Allen was asked about the history between the two and made it clear the issue is in the rearview mirror, which removes one potential distraction as the 49ers wait for Evans to return and sort out how all the pieces fit together. [Read more 🡒]
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49ers Receiver Move Reveals A Bigger Wrinkle In Their Injury Plan
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What makes the situation more delicate is the learning curve waiting for Allen once he gets in the building. Lynch and Kyle Shanahan both acknowledged how difficult it can be to absorb the 49ers playbook on the fly, so the team has already added extra meetings to help him get ready for upcoming games. It is the kind of adjustment San Francisco has had to make before, but this one comes with the added pressure of an injury picture that is still shifting around him. [Read more 🡒]