Saints Rising Star Kool-Aid McKinstry Reaches a Career Milestone — Named NFL’s “NFC Defensive Player of the Week” After a Truly Outstanding Performance

Santa Clara, California – January 4, 2026. Levi’s Stadium slowly emptied as the final whistle sounded. The 13–3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks not only snapped the San Francisco 49ers’ six-game winning streak, but stripped them of the NFC’s top seed and home-field advantage on the final weekend of the regular season. A painful fall, at the one moment they could least afford it. In that setting, Brock Purdy didn’t react like a quarterback coming off the most deflating loss of the season. Instead of heading straight to the tunnel with the rest of his teammates, Purdy turned back toward midfield and walked directly to Sam Darnold — the man who had just helped Seattle control the game from start to finish. There was no argument, no extra gesture. Just a few words delivered calmly and with intent: “See you in a couple of weeks.” It didn’t sound like frustration. It sounded like a date already circled. The game itself offered little comfort for San Francisco. Seattle smothered the 49ers from the opening drives, holding the entire offense to just 176 total yards. Christian McCaffrey was bottled up, and Purdy spent the night throwing under pressure, forced into quick decisions and short completions. He finished with 127 yards and an interception — numbers that reflected how thoroughly the Seahawks dictated the terms. Yet the most telling moments came off the stat sheet. On the sideline, Purdy never detached. Between series, he stayed engaged with his offensive line and receivers, talking through missed opportunities and reinforcing composure. There was no visible frustration, no searching for excuses — just a steady effort to keep the group grounded as the game slipped away. “We don’t judge ourselves by one game. What matters is how you respond, how you get back up, and how you play when things are at their toughest.” That mindset defined the 49ers’ locker room after the loss. The disappointment was obvious, but panic was absent. Veterans understood that the postseason doesn’t care how a team arrives — only how it handles adversity once it’s there. And for San Francisco, the role of road warrior is hardly unfamiliar. Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn’t shy away from reality. He acknowledged that the team had made its own path harder by losing home-field advantage, guaranteeing a more demanding playoff road. But there was no sense of resignation — only acceptance and a focus on what comes next. Inside the room, leaders like George Kittle and Fred Warner echoed the same message: the playoffs are a new season. What happened against Seattle won’t be forgotten, but it won’t define them either. The frustration remains — not as a burden, but as fuel. In that context, Purdy’s moment at midfield carried weight beyond a single exchange. It symbolized how this team chooses to confront setbacks — not by shrinking, not by disappearing, not by walking away quietly. The 49ers are willing to face the harder road, eyes forward, ready for whoever stands across from them again. The playoffs are shaped by the smallest details. A glance. A sentence. A moment after defeat. Levi’s Stadium closed the night in silence, but for Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers, it wasn’t an ending — it was the beginning of the most revealing test of their season.