Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers suffered a devastating 20-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11. The reigning NFC champions are now 5-5 on the season, and there’s a strong possibility that they could miss the playoffs.
Moreover, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, that Purdy is dealing with right shoulder soreness and is day-to-day. Nick Bosa, who left the game early against the Seahawks, is also dealing with a hip/oblique injury and will be evaluated through the week.
Fans React to Brock Purdy’s Injury Update
Some fans of the 49ers have given up on their season after the loss to the Seahawks and also further injuries to key players, urging the team to start tanking for the 2025 NFL Draft. Here’s how they reacted on social media:
Tank for Ashton Jeanty
— Roscoe Jenkins (@RoscoeJenk52035) November 18, 2024
“Let’s shut down Purdy, [TE George Kittle], Bosa, [OT Trent Williams], [LB Dre Greenlaw], and [S Talanoa Hufanga] for the year and get a top 10 pick,” said one fan.
Another fan added, “I love Purdy, but I wouldn’t mind if we got Shedeur Sanders. I’m tired of waiting to win a Super Bowl. It’s getting old, and fire Kyle too.”
Time to tank https://t.co/qV3EgBrMJt
— T (@Tony_T222) November 19, 2024
“Let’s get a top 10 pick! But also, I wouldn’t trust Kyle and [General Manager John Lynch] with first-round selections,” said a 49ers fan.
“Tank and get a good pick at this point,” wrote one fan.
Just shut it down and get healthy for next year https://t.co/ZTAld6ysOi
— MAGA SMITH (@cal_reb) November 19, 2024
This season has been a complete disaster for the 49ers. Christian McCaffrey has played only two games as he missed the first eight games due to an Achilles injury. Brandon Aiyuk is also out with a season-ending ACL injury.
List of notable 49ers who are currently injured and did not play in Week 11:
- Brandon Aiyuk
- George Kittle
- Dre Greenlaw
- Talanoa Hufanga
- Javon Hargrave
San Francisco still has a decent enough team to make the playoffs and get a win or two, but as currently constructed, they are quite unlikely to win the Super Bowl. Tanking for the next season makes a lot of sense for the NFC West franchise, as their Super Bowl window with this current roster is likely closed.
SEE MORE: NFC West Playoff Scenarios and Standings
Per Spotrac, the 49ers are projected to have $28.9 million in cap space next season. With Aiyuk recently signing an extension and rookie wideout Ricky Persall playing well, Deebo Samuel Sr. could get released by the team to create more cap space.
Purdy is also expected to sign an extension, and the franchise will be under pressure to make some tough decisions after this season. A higher draft pick will help improve the situation, and it will be interesting to see what the franchise’s approach will be if they lose in Week 12 to the Green Bay Packers.
The 49ers Have One of the Toughest Schedules Left in 2024
San Franciso has the same record as the Los Angeles Rams and the Seahawks and is only a game behind the Arizona Cardinals. They can still win the division and make the playoffs. However, they still have a lot of good teams remaining on their schedule.
According to PFN’s in-house metrics, the 49ers have the third toughest schedule remaining in the league following Week 11’s action, behind the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns.
The 49ers’ remaining schedule, 2024:
- Week 12: at Green Bay Packers
- Week 13: at Buffalo Bills
- Week 14: vs. Chicago Bears
- Week 15: vs. Los Angeles Rams
- Week 16: at Miami Dolphins
- Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions
- Week 18: at Arizona Cardinals
With the way the 49ers have played this year, getting a result in Green Bay, Wisc., Buffalo, N.Y., or even at home against Detroit looks quite unlikely. Even if they do not intentionally tank, based on their remaining schedule, the 49ers could still finish with a bad record, resulting in a higher draft pick.
Ashton Jeanty’s Draft Outlook
In PFN’s latest 2025 NFL Draft RB Rankings, PFN Analyst Dalton Miller had this to say about Jeanty and his draft outlook:
“There are no skill issues with Ashton Jeanty aside from his measurables. The only thing keeping him from being talked about amongst the very best prospects we’ve seen at the position is the fact that he’s 5-foot-8.
“The other thing keeping Jeanty’s narrative from reaching Saquon Barkley levels is the fact that he plays for Boise State in the Mountain West and not for a Power Four school.
“Jeanty’s only “flaw” could be considered his ball security. On average, he puts the ball on the ground once every 96 touches. That’s still right around average over the past few years I’ve been keeping track of fumbles — that’s the only thing that’s average about his game.
“Jeanty’s 192-yard performance against Oregon should be the stuff of legend. He almost single-handedly kept his Broncos in the game against college football’s best team.”
Miller continued, “Although Jeanty’s receiving production has nose-dived in 2024, he led college football in receiving yards, yards-after-the-catch average, and yards per route run. He’s dynamic no matter how the ball gets to his hands.
“Despite his smaller frame, Jeanty has conspicuous long speed to outrun Mountain West competition in the open field while making life incredibly difficult for Oregon defensive backs who were trying to run him down as well.
“Jeanty’s natural leverage, contact balance, and horizontal explosiveness allow him to string together broken and whiffed tackles like he’s Marshawn Lynch. To top it all off, his vision and lower body explosiveness allow him to maximize nearly every single rep he takes. He ekes every inch out that he can when there are no foundational issues in the defensive front seven.