San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy missed the team’s Week 12 loss to the Green Bay Packers. With the Niners teetering on the edge of the playoff picture, what is Purdy’s status for Week 13’s Sunday night trip to face the Buffalo Bills?
Below are the latest updates on Purdy’s status.
What Is Brock Purdy’s Injury?
Purdy did not appear to suffer an injury in the 49ers’ Week 11 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, playing every snap. But he curiously popped up on the Week 12 injury report with a vague “right shoulder soreness” designation, and things deteriorated from there.
The Thursday before Week 12, 49ers general manager John Lynch said Purdy underwent an MRI, noting that the club felt “good about where (Purdy’s injury was) from that standpoint.” However, Lynch also said that Purdy’s status for Week 12 was “tenuous.”
He subsequently went from being a limited practice participant to not practicing at all at the end of the week, leaving Brandon Allen to start vs. the Green Bay Packers.
Is Brock Purdy Playing in Week 13?
After missing Week 12 due to a right shoulder injury, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday before a full session on Friday. He was declared questionable on the final injury report, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said he expected his starting QB to return.
Purdy was also limited for last week’s Wednesday session. He went limited again last Thursday before being downgraded and ruled out on Friday.
Purdy’s upward trajectory at practice this week was a great sign. The clearest sign of his return arrived on Friday, when he threw at practice and backup quarterback Brandon Allen occupied a scout team role.
Allen completed 17 of 29 attempts for 199 yards, one touchdown, and one interception vs. Green Bay. He earned a C (72.8) in PFN’s QB+ grades, No. 19 among 26 quarterbacks who played in Week 12.
How Might Purdy’s Absence Impact the 49ers if Ruled Out?
We saw all we needed last week when the 49ers’ offense was totally toothless at Lambeau Field. Backup quarterback Brandon Allen completed 17 of 29 attempts for 199 yards, one touchdown, and one interception vs. Green Bay. He earned a C (72.8) in PFN’s QB+ grades, No. 19 among 26 quarterbacks who played in Week 12.
As a team, the 49ers averaged -0.43 EPA per play, their fourth-worst figure in 138 games under Shanahan (including playoffs). It was their worst since the 2022 NFC Championship Game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, when they were effectively forced to play without a quarterback following injuries to Purdy and Josh Johnson.
Of course, Purdy’s return alone won’t be the panacea for what ails the Niners. San Francisco is still going to miss All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, who will miss his second straight game with an ankle injury. Christian McCaffrey has been back but hasn’t recaptured his Offensive Player of the Year form and has yet to reach the end zone.
The 49ers just haven’t hit their usual allotment of big plays, ranking 17th in explosive-play rate (11.5%). Last year, they led the league in that category at 15.7%. Their usual formula of nickel-and-diming a team and finishing more drives with field goals than touchdowns is unlikely to work at Buffalo.
San Francisco isn’t out of the playoff race even with a loss, given the Niners still have games remaining against the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams in a tight division race. But time is quickly running low on the defending NFC champs and their star-crossed season.
49ers Remaining Schedule
After tonight’s Sunday Night Football game, the 49ers have a fairly tough schedule ahead.
Heading into the weekend, the San Francisco 49ers are 5-6 and now have a 20.9% chance to make the playoffs, according to PFN’s Playoff Predictor.
They have a <0.1% chance for the first seed, a 0.6% chance for the second seed, a 6.5% chance for the third seed, a 2.8% chance for the fourth seed, a 0.2% chance for the fifth seed, a 1.8% chance for the sixth seed, and a 9.0% chance for the seventh seed.
- Week 14: Sunday, December 8 vs. Chicago Bears
- Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
- Broadcast: FOX
- Week 15: Thursday, December 12 vs. Los Angeles Rams
- Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
- Broadcast: Prime Video
- Week 16: Sunday, December 22 at Miami Dolphins
- Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
- Broadcast: CBS
- Week 17: Monday, December 30 vs. Detroit Lions
- Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
- Broadcast: ESPN/ABC
- Week 18: Date and Time TBD at Arizona Cardinals
- Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
