49ers: Purdy out vs Saints, Mac Jones starting; Kittle and Williams questionable

Mac Jones to Take the Reins for the 49ers against the Saints

San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that quarterback Brock Purdy will not play against the New Orleans Saints this Sunday. Instead, Mac Jones will be the starter.

“Mac has been incredible. The same this week as in the whole camp. Our team really believes in him, our team really enjoys him, and he did a great job this week in practice,” Shanahan commented.

Kyle Shanahan

Purdy did not participate in practice due to injuries to his left shoulder and toe, suffered in last week’s victory against the Seahawks. Shanahan indicated that the toe injury is the biggest concern and could keep Purdy out for several weeks. 49ers general manager John Lynch mentioned that Purdy’s injury is considered “week-to-week”. With Purdy out of action, Jones took all the reps with the starting offense during the week. This will be his first start with the 49ers, after signing a two-year, $7 million contract in March. Jones, selected in the number 15 spot in the 2021 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, had a solid initial season with the Patriots, but experienced two difficult years that led to his trade. Upon arriving in San Francisco, Jones sees this opportunity as a reinvention of his career in Shanahan’s offense.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play many different roles, and at the end of the day, your job as a quarterback is to hand the ball off or throw it,” Jones expressed.

Mac Jones

According to teammates and coaches, Jones had a solid preseason and training camp before a mild knee sprain. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak highlighted Jones’ progress since joining the team. Given Purdy’s absence, the 49ers plan to promote practice squad quarterback Adrian Martinez to the active roster as Jones’ backup. Martinez, who has not played in an NFL game, has shown good performance in recent weeks. In addition to the quarterback situation, the 49ers are facing other injuries. Tight end George Kittle was placed on the reserve list with a hamstring injury, while receiver Jauan Jennings (shoulder) and left tackle Trent Williams (knee) are questionable.