SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – Quarterback Brock Purdy will return to the starting lineup for the San Francisco 49ers this week after missing the last six games with a toe injury.
Purdy made it through the first two days of practice this week without a setback, leading coach Kyle Shanahan to make the decision to start him against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday
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Shanahan told the team’s flagship radio station KNBR on Thursday that Purdy will get the nod this week.
“I feel really good,” Purdy said. “I feel healthy. I’m excited to be back and ready to go and lead the guys, It’s been a good week so far. I got a couple more days obviously. I have to finish up strong.”
Purdy missed two games after the initial injury but returned for a Week 4 game against Jacksonville. He hurt the toe again early in that game, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble in a 26-21 loss to the Jaguars.
Purdy said he felt fine going into that game and didn’t regret the decision to play.
“I just unfortunately got caught in a bad position with my toe again and just reaggravated it,” he said. “That´s sort of what happened. Looking back at it, I´m a competitor. I want to go out and lead. I felt good that week to be able to go out and lead my guys.”
Shanahan acknowledges that the team might have rushed Purdy back too soon that day but feels the situation will be different after he got six weeks off and has had three weeks of practice to get back near full strength.
Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, helped the 49ers reach the NFC title game as a rookie when he won his first seven starts before an elbow injury in the NFC title game loss to Philadelphia. Purdy returned from that major surgery and played at his highest level the following season, helping the team reach the Super Bowl and become a finalist for the AP NFL MVP award.
Purdy´s production slipped a bit last season as injuries hampered the offense but he showed enough for San Francisco to reward him with a $265 million, five-year contract.
Purdy has a 103.7 career passer rating, averaging 8.8 yards per attempt with 68 touchdown passes and 31 interceptions.
He started this season by leading a fourth-quarter comeback in the opener at Seattle on the injured toe but has only been able to play one game since.
“It´s been frustrating,” he said. “Going into year four, I wanted to play my best ball so far in my career. I was really excited about it. I come in, play Seattle and win on the road and feel really good about the year. Then all of a sudden I’m dealing with the toe injury and it has been frustrating.”
The 49ers have had the luxury of taking their time with Purdy thanks to how well Mac Jones has played in his place. Jones has gone 5-3 as the starter, running the offense very efficiently with his 268.9 yards passing per game ranking second among all qualifiers.
Jones´ play has led to some suggestions that the Niners should stick with the hot hand for now, including from seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady on a Fox broadcast and from former San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman.
But the 49ers believe Purdy gives them the best chance to win based on how he has played over his career.
“Any time a backup quarterback comes in and plays good, that´s all anyone talks about,” Shanahan said. “I don´t think anyone talks about what people have done in the past. Whether it´s Brock or whether it´s anybody. That´s just how the world works with media or anybody. So, I don´t look too much into that stuff at all. We all know how good Brock´s played in the past. I think he played really good versus Seattle and I think he struggled versus Jacksonville, which is why we shouldn´t have brought him back then. I know when Brock comes back, he´ll play the same way he always has, like a very high-level quarterback.”
NOTES: Shanahan also said WR Ricky Pearsall would return after missing the past six games with a knee injury. … CB Deommodore Lenoir was added to the injury report as limited by a calf injury. … DT Alfred Collins (hip) and LB Dee Winters (knees) were also limited.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions face off in Week 10 in a key NFC showdown. Both teams have Super Bowl aspirations, and both teams have superstar running backs in Jahmyr Gibbs and Saquon Barkley.
The Lions are 6-3 and the Eagles are 7-2, so this game can have big implications on the NFC playoff standings as time goes on.
Regarding the star running backs, it should be fun to watch them go at it.
Ahead of the game, Gibbs didn’t hesitate about Barkley’s greatness, via Eric Woodyard of ESPN.
“I’ve always been a fan of Saquon since I was in high school,” Gibbs said. “Yeah, competitive nature. That’s always gonna do that. Whoever says no is lying…Very great player. He’s been a great player his whole career so I’m very excited to be across the sidelines from him and watch him work.”
Gibbs, the former Alabama star, has 693 yards with eight touchdowns this season. Barkley, who is fresh off a Super Bowl win, has 579 yards with four scores this season, and both are key pieces to their respective offenses.
Also, Gibbs’ numbers are even more impressive given the fact that David Montgomery is also in Detroit, giving the Lions a formidable and arguably the best 1-2 RB duo in the NFL.
Entering the weekend, both the Lions and Eagles are on top of their respective divisions, although Philadelphia is tied with the Seattle Seahawks for the top seed in the NFC.
This game is the Sunday Night Football showdown and is in Philadelphia, but expect both running backs to play a big role as usual.