SANTA CLARA — Not only has Brock Purdy essentially been ruled out of the 49ers’ game Sunday in New Orleans, but his absence could extend multiple games.
General manager John Lynch acknowledged that Thursday morning when discussing Purdy’s painful toe injury.
“What we’re dealing with is a kind of week-to-week thing,” Lynch said on KNBR 680-AM. “That’s our information. Brock is doing well coming back from it, doing everything he can to get back as soon as possible.”
Lynch neither confirmed nor denied that Purdy will be out two to five weeks, as the NFL Network reported.
Purdy’s turf toe diagnosis was based off talking to NFL foot and ankle specialist Dr. Robert Anderson, and Lynch noted that images on Purdy’s toe “was more on the positive side than what it could have been going in there. We look forward to getting Brock back.”
The keys to coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense are, at least this week, now tossed to Mac Jones, a 2021 NFL Draft finalist for the 49ers’ No. 3 overall spot. Jones was a three-year starter in New England before moving on last season to Jacksonville, where he went 2-5 as a replacement starter for Trevor Lawrence.
Jones would become the 10th starting quarterback under Shanahan since 2017, only one game into Purdy’s $265 million contract extension that runs through 2030.
“Yeah, that’s looking like that right now. We’re really pleased to have Mac here,” Lynch said. “Mac was a guy back in the draft process we studied a lot and really liked. He’s had ups and downs in his NFL career, but since being part of us, he’s taken to our offense and really fits our culture. He can run our offense and run it well, and we don’t have to change a whole lot when he’s out there. I’m excited to see what he can do.”
After revealing Wednesday that Purdy is a “long shot” to face the Saints, Shanahan considered a multi-game absence “possible.” The 49ers’ play their first home games against the Arizona Cardinals (Sept. 21) and the Jacksonville Jaguars (Sept. 28) before visiting the Los Angeles Rams (Thursday, Oct. 2) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Oct. 12).
Purdy injured his big toe on an unspecified foot two minutes before halftime of Sunday’s 17-13 win in Seattle, where he did not miss a snap and proved mobile enough to throw a 4-yard, game-winning touchdown pass to Jake Tonges with 94 seconds remaining.
Purdy also sustained a left, non-throwing shoulder injury earlier in the second quarter.
Although Shanahan said he knew Purdy was playing hurt, not everyone did, and Purdy’s ailments weren’t publicly disclosed until Monday by Shanahan.
“I had no idea until I saw him and was talking to him yesterday,” wide receiver Ricky Pearsall told this news organization Wednesday. “He’s a tough dude and isn’t going to complain very much.”
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Brock Purdy ‘long shot’ to play in 49ers’ game at Saints on Sunday
Purdy has missed only two starts due to injury in his career: last season’s defeats at Green Bay (No. 24, right shoulder) and at Arizona (Jan. 5 finale, right elbow). He played through fractured ribs and torn cartilage in his victorious road debut at Seattle in December 2022. The next year, he promptly shook off a nerve stinger in Arizona, then experienced a similar injury a week later to exit a Christmas Night loss to Baltimore.
“His pain tolerance is uniquely high so you never put anything past him,” Lynch said.
Jimmy Garoppolo, Purdy’s predecessor, is the only 49ers quarterback to start every game in a season (2019) over the past decade.
Here are the 49ers’ starters since Shanahan arrived as coach:
2017: Brian Hoyer (0-6), C.J. Beathard (1-4), Garoppolo (5-0)
2018: Garoppolo (1-2), Beathard (0-5), Nick Mullens (3-5)
2019: Garoppolo (13-3)
2020: Garoppolo (3-3), Mullens (2-6, Beathard (1-1)
2021: Garoppolo (9-6), Trey Lance (1-1)
2022: Garoppolo (7-3), Purdy (5-0), Lance (1-1)
2023: Purdy (12-4), Sam Darnold (0-1)
2024: Purdy (6-9), Brandon Allen (0-1), Josh Dobbs (0-1)