The hot takes are flying after star 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw three interceptions in Monday night’s 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium.

And Colin Cowherd was one of the latest to fuel the flames.

In Monday’s edition of “The Colin Cowherd Podcast,” the sports media personality cruelly compared San Francisco’s signal-caller to Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins.

“Brock Purdy’s last 20 starts: [29] touchdowns, 19 interceptions, a (94.1) passer rating that’s equal to Tua (97.1). And what did I always call Brock Purdy? A right-handed Tua — a little mobility, not a big arm, a little injury prone,” Cowherd said. “Tua, don’t trust him in cold weather; Brock Purdy’s had ball security issues in wet weather. It’s the same guy, it really is. I think Tua throws a more accurate ball consistently.

“I think Purdy is a little bit better athlete, and a much more aggressive thrower of the football. But in the last 20 starts — with injuries, and you have to move off people because you’re paying Purdy and other people now — Brock Purdy is a mid-90-passer-rating guy with injuries. That’s what he is. Don’t shoot the messenger. That’s what he is right now.”

Cowherd comparing Purdy, who signed a five-year contract extension worth $265 million with the 49ers this offseason, with Tagovailoa, who has struggled after signing a four-year contract extension worth $212.4 million with the Dolphins in July 2024, isn’t supposed to be flattering.

But that is the noise that Purdy has earned after finishing Monday’s win over Carolina 23-of-32 passing for 192 yards with one touchdown and three first-half interceptions.

Tagovailoa has posted a 97.1 passer rating with 4,507 yards, 34 touchdowns and 17 interceptions over his last 20 games. As Cowherd said, Purdy has played similarly during that span, with a 94.1 passer rating, 29 touchdowns and 19 interceptions over his last 20 outings.

Cowherd is right to believe Purdy and Tagovailoa recently have left much to be desired on the field. 

However, what the analyst failed to mention was that the pair of quarterbacks — particularly Purdy, who is leading the seemingly playoff-bound 49ers and already has reached a Super Bowl — have earned their pricy contracts for a reason, as they are electric at their peaks.

Purdy and Tagovailoa clearly haven’t been two of the best under center during the 2025 NFL season. But all it would take for each to improve their reputations, especially among talking heads like Cowherd, is a stretch of good games and wins.

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