The San Francisco 49ers entered the season with stability at the quarterback position after signing Brock Purdy to a contract extension worth $265 million. Purdy has been a great story for the 49ers, going from being titled “Mr. Irrelevant” in the 2022 NFL Draft to being a franchise cornerstone. However, staying on the field has been an issue for Purdy this season.
Purdy has been dealing with a turf toe injury since a Week 4 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The injury has lingered longer than expected, raising questions about his durability and how the 49ers will manage him moving forward. This week, San Francisco announced that Purdy would not be available for the Week 10 matchup, forcing the coaching staff to adjust.
Why Brock Purdy is Out and What it Means
That change has paved the way for former first-round pick Mac Jones to step into the starting role, one in which he has thrived since joining the 49ers.
On November 7, Adam Schefter reported the following: “49ers QB Mac Jones will start again Sunday in place of Brock Purdy, who is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Rams due to his turf toe injury.”
Thankfully, the 49ers have found a solid backup quarterback in Jones. This season, Jones has completed 67.2% of his passes for 1832 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has been a valuable contributor to the team and is having his best season of his career since his rookie year with the New England Patriots in 2021.
Despite losing their starting quarterback, along with numerous other injuries to players such as Fred Warner, Brandon Aiyuk, and Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers have managed to remain a contender in the NFC West. They’re placed third in the NFC West with a 6-3 record, behind the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, who are both 6-2.
According to PFSN’s Offensive Impact rankings, the 49ers rank 10th in the league. This is mainly due to the production of Christian McCaffrey, Kendrick Bourne, and Jauan Jennings.
As for Purdy, he was listed as questionable earlier this week as a limited participant, but the team decided to lean on the hot Mac Jones.
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan had this to say on Purdy’s injury: “Pretty confident we’ll see him again this year.”
Considering the 49ers put a significant investment into Purdy, he’ll surely be slotted back into the starting role when he returns. For now, the team is in good hands with Jones.
