SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Mac Jones is set to be the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers for the second week in a row and for the fourth time in the first six games of the season. Jones, who has been dealing with left knee and oblique discomfort, was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Sunday. Despite this, he is expected to start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as stated by coach Kyle Shanahan in a radio interview on Thursday.
The fourth start for Jones comes as starting quarterback Brock Purdy continues to deal with a toe injury he suffered in Week 1 and aggravated in Week 4. Purdy did not practice this week and was officially ruled out for Sunday’s game. Jones didn’t throw demanding pitches in Thursday’s training, stating that he was “saving” pitches to be better prepared for Sunday’s game. However, he did throw some pitches on Friday. The player expressed confidence in his ability to play against the Bucs, but acknowledged that a lot would depend on how the rest of the week unfolds. Jones’ knee injury occurred in a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders, and although he recovered, he aggravated it in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals. Then he suffered an oblique strain on the last offensive play of San Francisco against the Rams. Despite this, Jones and the Niners had a few extra days to recover after the Thursday night game and then established a plan to limit his workload this week, with the goal of having him available in Tampa for a matchup between NFC teams with a 4-1 record.I’ve practically said he’ll play.
Kyle Shanahan
I think if you can protect yourself, you should be out there playing. A lot of players are dealing with things. That’s the NFL, and I’ve learned you just have to be able to go out there and protect yourself and play.
Mac JonesSimilar to last week against the Rams, Jones and the Niners’ offense will enter this game with an improvised group of receivers at the tight end and wide receiver positions. This is because receiver Ricky Pearsall will miss his second consecutive game due to a right knee injury. Jauan Jennings is considered more of a game-time decision, as he practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday and Friday with rib and ankle injuries. In addition to Pearsall and possibly Jennings, the 49ers will still be without tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and receivers Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jordan Watkins (calf). This leaves the Niners once again hoping to count on a group that includes receivers Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson and tight ends Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell to fill the void. Against the Rams, it was Bourne who emerged as Jones’s primary target, with a personal record of 142 yards on 10 receptions.In other injury news, rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins is listed as questionable due to a knee injury he suffered against the Rams. Collins did not practice on Wednesday but participated on Thursday and Friday. Cornerback Upton Stout, safety Malik Mustapha, and defensive tackle Kalia Davis are also questionable. Defensive tackle Kevin Givens (pectoral) and lineman Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) have also been ruled out.He just gets better every week. He’s a team player. You see a guy who is still learning to understand our offense schematically, but he gets better every week. He’s a pleasure to have around because he’s totally committed. He has a great attitude. He works at it. I think he’s a guy who, the more he’s out there, the more he’ll help us. And I’m really excited about what he’s done, what we expect him to keep doing.
Klay Kubiak
