San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy showed up to his Thursday press conference dressed in a yellow Iowa Hawkeyes hat and a grey long-sleeve shirt, the price of losing a standing wager with teammate George Kittle over the annual Iowa State-Iowa football rivalry.
Purdy’s Cyclones fell to the Hawkeyes 16-13 on Saturday, and as usual, that meant a bet with Kittle, a die-hard Iowa fan, came due.
“Any Hawkeye logo looks ugly to me,” Purdy told reporters when asked about the outfit. “It sucks.”
Purdy watched the loss after a 16-hour flight home from Melbourne, Australia, where the 49ers had just opened their season with a 27-7 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
“It was tough at the end,” Purdy said. “Jimmy Rodgers is doing a really good job over there, taking over the program and everything. Obviously, at the end of the day, they couldn’t pull it off, and it sucks.”
Since Purdy was picked by the 49ers with the final selection of the 2022 NFL Draft, Iowa State has held a 3-2 edge in the series. Last season the two teams’ bet outcome was reversed, with Iowa State beating Iowa 16-13.
Purdy’s only other loss to Kittle in the wager came in 2023, when Iowa won 20-13 and Purdy had to wear a Hawkeyes headpiece to a press conference.
“The headgear sucked. Walking in with that, it was rough,” Purdy said. “But honestly, I don’t think this is that bad, compared to what George has done: the overalls and the Cowboy hat walking into a game. Him wearing my helmet.”
“I feel like I’ve come up with the good ideas,” Purdy added. “Hopefully we get a little bit more spicy as the years come.”
Kittle wasn’t content to let Purdy’s punishment end at the podium. He had Purdy pose for a photo in the 49ers locker room and posted it to his Instagram story with the caption: “@brock.purdy13 big Hawkeye fan!”
