After signing a massive contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, quarterback Brock Purdy has played in just two games in 2025 while dealing with a lingering turf toe injury.
Purdy has missed the 49ers’ last three games, and the team had hoped he could return for their Week 8 matchup against the Houston Texans, but that may not happen. Here’s everything to know about Purdy’s status and a potential timeline for his return.
Is Brock Purdy Playing in Week 8?
When Purdy has been on the field this season, he’s been excellent, ranking as the league’s third-best quarterback in his two starts according to PFSN’s QBi metric. The issue, however, is that he hasn’t played much, missing five games due to turf toe.
Turf toe is a tricky injury because recovery varies depending on severity, so there’s no exact timetable for Purdy’s return. The original hope was that he could play in Week 8 against the Texans, but according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the odds of that happening are growing smaller.
According to OurSF49ers, Rapoport reported that 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones is expected to start again in Week 8 while Purdy continues to recover from his turf toe injury.
#49ers Mac Jones is “looking at another start” in Week 8 against Houston with Brock Purdy continuing to recover from the “relapse” of his turf toe injury, per @RapSheet
📸: @mattfraser_9 pic.twitter.com/e1pv1Apo8w
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) October 24, 2025
“Mac Jones is ‘looking at another start’ in Week 8 against Houston with Brock Purdy continuing to recover from the ‘relapse’ of his turf toe injury, per [Rapoport],” OurSF49ers posted on X.
On Friday, the 49ers officially ruled out Purdy for Week 8, and Jones will get another start for the team.
While it’s unfortunate news for the 49ers, the silver lining is that Jones has been playing exceptionally well in Purdy’s absence. In his five starts, he ranks 16th among NFL quarterbacks according to PFSN’s QBi metric, leading San Francisco to a 4-1 record.
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Even if Purdy felt ready for Houston, it’s still wise for the 49ers to keep him sidelined in Week 8. He initially suffered the turf toe injury in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks and then re-aggravated it when he returned in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
San Francisco and head coach Kyle Shanahan likely don’t want to risk making the same mistake, as the team will undoubtedly need Purdy healthy for the latter half of the season.
As good as Jones has been, the team is still better when Purdy is on the field. With Jones doing enough to win games in Purdy’s absence, the 49ers can afford to give him an extra week of recovery before ramping him up for a playoff push.
There’s still a chance Purdy could play in Week 8, but for now, it appears Jones will get the starting nod against Houston.
