49ers Injury Update: Purdy, Jones, and Kittle
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Francisco 49ers find themselves at a crossroads regarding the situation of their quarterback, Brock Purdy. Despite not having a defined return date for Purdy, who has missed three of the first five games due to a toe injury, the team has not considered the possibility of placing him on the injured reserve (IR) list.Purdy did not participate in Wednesday’s practice, suggesting that Mac Jones could be the starter once again on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jones led the Niners to victory in their previous three starts. However, Jones also faces physical issues, including a left knee injury and, according to Shanahan, an oblique injury. He was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. Jones received medical attention during Thursday’s victory against the Rams, but was able to play despite the discomfort. The 49ers are managing Purdy’s return week-to-week, after the toe injury worsened in the Week 4 loss against Jacksonville. Purdy did not travel to Los Angeles for last week’s game. Given Purdy’s absence from training and Jones’ limitations, Adrian Martinez, promoted from the practice squad last week, will have more opportunities with the starters this week. Martinez was close to entering action against the Rams after Jones took a hit, but Jones was able to return to the game. Shanahan admitted that he doesn’t know what to expect if Martinez has to play, as he has yet to participate in a regular season game.We haven’t thought about putting him on IR. He’s progressing.
Kyle Shanahan, Niners coach
In other injury news, wide receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ribs, ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. Shanahan indicated that the team had hoped Pearsall would have returned by now, but his status for Sunday is uncertain.Obviously, with someone who hasn’t been in your system for a long time and doesn’t have much experience, you want to be as careful as possible. But when you’re in a 20-20 game or whatever at that moment, you have to do what you have to do. You find yourself in certain situations and you have to figure it out.
Kyle Shanahan, Niners coach
Tight end George Kittle (hamstring), who is eligible to return from the injured reserve list, is also progressing. He will not participate in practice this week, but Shanahan said Kittle has “a chance” to return for the Week 7 home game against the Atlanta Falcons. Starting left guard Ben Bartch (high ankle sprain) is unlikely to practice next week, when he’s eligible to return from the injured reserve list, Shanahan said. The 49ers opened the practice windows for safety Malik Mustapha (knee) and defensive tackle Kevin Givens (pectoral) this week, giving them both a chance to play against the Bucs. Shanahan said they would be evaluated as the week progresses.We’ll see if there’s a change on Thursday or Friday, but I’m not counting on that at the moment.
Kyle Shanahan, Niners coach
