The San Francisco 49ers walked into Jacksonville unbeaten, ready to welcome back quarterback Brock Purdy and extend their early-season dominance. Instead, they left with their first loss of the year — a 26–21 defeat that swung on turnovers and missed opportunities.

Purdy, making his much-anticipated return, flashed moments of the poise that defined his rise in San Francisco. He connected on key throws and kept the offense moving in stretches. But when the game tightened, costly mistakes told the story. Jacksonville’s defense pounced, forcing multiple turnovers that flipped momentum and left the 49ers chasing.

The Jaguars seized the openings. Trevor Lawrence leaned on a balanced attack, hitting timely passes while the ground game punished San Francisco’s defensive front. Each takeaway fueled the home crowd’s roar, and each mistake by the 49ers made the comeback climb steeper. By the fourth quarter, Jacksonville had built a cushion too wide for Purdy and company to overcome.

It wasn’t for lack of fight. San Francisco mounted a late surge, with Purdy engineering a touchdown drive that narrowed the score and kept hope alive. But as the clock ticked down, the Jaguars’ defense stood tall, delivering the decisive stops to secure a signature win against one of the NFC’s heavyweights.

For the 49ers, the loss was a harsh reminder of how thin the margins are in the NFL. Ball security, long a hallmark of Purdy’s game, unraveled at the wrong time.

“We can’t put the ball in harm’s way like that and expect to win,” head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted afterward.

The defeat drops San Francisco to 3–1, a blemish that stings less for the record than for the manner in which it came. Jacksonville, meanwhile, improves to 3–1 and makes a statement that their defense can dictate games against elite opponents.

Purdy’s return was supposed to spark a celebration. Instead, it was the turnovers — not the touchdowns — that defined the night.