Reporter, ESPN analyst exchange social media shots over Brock Purdy

Longtime 49ers reporter David Lombardi and ESPN analyst Mina Kimes traded jabs on social media for nearly 24 hours, with Brock Purdy at the center. Lombardi, who has covered San Francisco since 2017 and is in his third season with the San Francisco Standard, praised Purdy after the team’s Week 4 win over the Denver Broncos. He highlighted a strong second half and praised Purdy’s handling of injuries and missing weapons, posting that the quarterback’s work was his best yet in an MVP-caliber season. Kimes responded that the Broncos were missing both starting cornerbacks due to injuries: Patrick Surtain (ankle) and Riley Moss (rib), neither returning. She also noted Denver’s defensive drop-off compared with past seasons and called Lombardi’s assessment “bizarre.” The exchange continued as Lombardi revised his point during subsequent posts on Sunday night and Monday morning.