Dee Winters’ 75-Yard Pick-Six Seals 49ers’ 48-27 Win as Philip Rivers Offers Postgame Praise

The veteran quarterback tracked down the third-year linebacker after the final whistle to commend his read in a mic’d-up exchange that drew wide attention.

Overview

Winters jumped a late Rivers throw and returned it about 75 yards for a touchdown to push San Francisco’s lead to 21 with 3:26 remaining.
The interception was Winters’s first career pick and his first returned for a touchdown, effectively closing out the Monday night game in Indianapolis.
NFL Films captured Rivers telling Winters, “Good play, man,” and asking if he recognized the earlier check, a clip later shared widely by Ari Meirov.
Winters said film study and recognizing a repeated check led him to undercut a quick throw intended for tight end Tyler Warren.
The victory improved the 49ers to 11-4, while Rivers’s on-field acknowledgment reinforced his leadership in a comeback season after not playing since 2020.