San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has only played two games this season due to turf toe but has a chance to return this weekend when his team faces the New York Giants on the road. Purdy last played on September 28, with Mac Jones taking over the starting QB duties while Purdy has been sidelined.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan expressed some optimism that Purdy could be back in the lineup on Sunday but said the team would learn more at Wednesday’s practice. Once Wednesday rolled around, Purdy was again a limited participant.
Purdy initially injured the toe in Week 1 but was able to return for Week 4 – only to re-aggravate the injury. So what does Purdy need to show in order to return to the field? Shanahan said it’s confidence.
“If he gets out there, and he’s hobbling around and stuff, he won’t be out there [on Sunday]. So he’s got to go out there and go through the practices and stuff and really let us know how good he feels because it’s hard to know what’s going on with the toe,” Shanahan told reporters. “They’re really iffy things. Last time, we felt like he was feeling pretty good, looked pretty good in practice and then in the game, one hit and it set him back five or six weeks, whatever this has been … four weeks.”
The team wants Purdy, who signed a five-year, $265 million extension in May, to avoid another setback, but Shanahan noted it’s not easy to detect whether one is coming.
“It’s kind of a sensitive situation and hopefully getting some reps in practice and stuff will give him that confidence that it’s better than it was last time,” Shanahan said.
When asked if Purdy will let them know by the end of the week if he feels good enough to play, Shanahan quipped, “I mean, I didn’t give him a deadline.”
“It’s not as black and white as you guys want it to be,” the coach added.
Jones is dealing with a knee contusion but was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice. He will get yet another start if Purdy is unable to go as the 49ers (5-3) look to bounce back from last week’s 26-15 loss to the Houston Texans.
