San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters Wednesday he thinks “it’s a long shot” that quarterback Brock Purdy plays Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
That means that backup Mac Jones, the former New England Patriots starter whom the 49ers signed to a two-year deal this past offseason, is in line to start.
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Purdy didn’t practice Wednesday and is dealing with left shoulder and toe injuries that he sustained during a season-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Shanahan confirmed that Purdy’s toe problem is the more serious of the two injuries, and that it could be a multi-week issue.
Purdy hurt his toe in the second quarter of the 49ers’ 17-13 victory against the Seahawks, according to Shanahan, who said the injury occurred when Purdy was scrambling and Seahawks safety Julian Love tackled him near the sideline.
Shanahan said Wednesday he was aware Purdy was playing through the injury. The fourth-year signal-caller stayed in the game and overcame the pain, as well as a pair of interceptions and two missed field goals from now-former 49ers kicker Jake Moody, plus a hamstring injury to star tight end George Kittle.
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Purdy finished 26-of-35 for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He delivered a game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Jake Tonges with about 90 seconds left for a pivotal divisional win.
It was a resilient statement made by Purdy, the 2022 draft’s “Mr. Irrelevant” who led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2023 and inked a five-year, $265 million extension this past May despite San Francisco’s injury-riddled 6-11 finish last season.
With the 49ers’ roster aging, and their Super Bowl window potentially closing, the pressure’s on Purdy to deliver more heroics in 2025. For now, however, he’s sidelined.
Jones, a 2021 Pro Bowler who was 2-5 with an 8:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his seven starts as a backup with the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, will now have the keys to a shorthanded 49ers offense.
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Kittle’s on IR. Top wideout Brandon Aiyuk is still recovering from his season-ending knee injuries last year. And fellow wide receiver Jauan Jennings didn’t practice Wednesday, either, although scans for his shoulder reportedly came back clean Tuesday.
“Mac knows how to play the position,” Shanahan said of Jones Wendesday.
“He can play well in the pocket, distributes the ball well, sees coverages well, can play fast in there. He’s got a lot of good film from the NFL with his experience and obviously college. Tough guy who will hang in there and deliver the ball where it needs to go.”
Jones will likely have another chance to prove that his rookie season in New England is replicable Sunday in New Orleans.
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