Once again, the San Francisco 49ers find themselves without their starting quarterback. The team announced that Brock Purdy will miss another game due to a nagging turf toe injury, forcing Mac Jones back into the starting role for a crucial divisional matchup.
After playing through the injury last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the short week provided no favors for “Mr. Irrelevant,” who will not be suiting up against the Los Angeles Rams.
Why Is Brock Purdy Sidelined Again?
Purdy’s journey from being the last pick in the NFL draft to signing a five-year, $265 million contract is a tremendous story. However, the 49ers would love for him to be on the field more during the 2025-26 season, as Purdy is now set to miss his third game. With San Francisco dealing with numerous key injuries, Jones is set to start for the third time this season.
Jones led the team to victories in Week 2 and Week 3 in his previous starts. He has completed 53 of 80 passes for 563 yards, throwing four touchdowns and just one interception. Purdy returned last week but re-aggravated his toe injury during the game.
At this time, it is unknown if he will also miss Week 6. Given that the team has extra rest before their next match, Purdy may be ready to go against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite the setback, Purdy made his intentions clear coming into Week 5. Purdy said, “If I can play this game, I want to play. Obviously, I want to get right and get healthy and everything, but we need to win this game against the Rams. So that’s how I’m looking at it.” Ultimately, the team decided that a healthy Jones gives them the best chance of victory. This decision isn’t a reflection on who the better quarterback is, but rather a necessary choice based on Purdy’s current health.
Unfortunately, injuries have become a common theme for this 49ers squad. Jones was dealing with a knee injury last week, though he has been a full participant at practice and has not been held back. The injury woes don’t stop there, as the team will also miss wide receivers Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, and Jordan Watkins.
As it stands, advanced metrics show Jones is slightly behind Purdy. According to PFSN’s QB Impact metric, both quarterbacks have played in two games, with Purdy’s grade (B+) slightly edging out that of Jones (B-). Overall, this 49ers offense is ranked 11th in the league with a C+ grade in PFSN’s Offense Impact.
Even though they’re playing at home, the betting markets are not in San Francisco’s favor. According to ESPN Analytics, the Los Angeles Rams have a 72% chance to win. Consequently, San Francisco has fallen to 8.5-point underdogs, a relatively large number as this pair of 3-1 teams gets set to battle.
