Starting QB Brock Purdy and backup QB Mac Jones were both limited again in Thursday’s practice after being limited in Wednesday’s session. Purdy is working through a toe injury he suffered in Week 1, while Jones is dealing with a knee injury from training camp that he aggravated in Week 3.
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If neither player is able to suit up in Sunday’s game, practice squad QB Adrian Martinez would be the team’s starting signal caller with a backup to-be-determined. Martinez, the 2024 United Football League MVP, hasn’t played in a regular season game since joining the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Detroit Lions in 2023. He was Jones’s backup in Weeks 2 and 3 after being elevated from the practice squad.
While the limited sessions for both QBs aren’t a great sign, it certainly isn’t the worst news.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday said Martinez would get some of the first-team reps with Purdy and Jones. He was mum on Purdy’s status for Sunday, but he did say the QB is making progress.
“Good. He’s better today than he was on Sunday and hopefully that will keep continuing,” Shanahan said.
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As for Jones, he told reporters after Sunday’s game he wasn’t too concerned about the knee being a long-term issue.
“Yeah, so I had a little injury that I just reaggravated and I’m good,” Jones said after Sunday’s game. ” I took the brace off because I wasn’t moving around very well and then put it back on after that. But yeah, I felt like it affected my play a little bit, which I was disappointed about. I could have just been tougher. It was affecting my reads and everything. So anyways, finished the game out and just going to do treatment and I should be good.”
The other reason for optimism is that the 49ers haven’t added another QB, which is a sign that they’re confident in at least one of Purdy or Jones being ready for Week 4. Still, it’s worth keeping a close eye on considering the potential issues that could be posed for the 49ers offense if they have a first-time starter facing the Jaguars at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.
Here is the full practice participation report from Thursday:
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Did not participate
- WR Jauan Jennings (ankle, shoulder)
- WR Jordan Watkins (calf)
- DT CJ West (thumb)
Limited participation
- DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
- WR Ricky Pearsall (knee)
- OL Connor Colby (groin)
- CB Renardo Green (neck)
- QB Mac Jones (knee)
- CB Deommodore Lenoir (illness)
- QB Brock Purdy (shoulder, toe)
Full participation
- RB Christian McCaffrey (not injury related – resting player)
- LT Trent Williams (not injury related – resting player)
- DT Kalia Davis (ankle)
- DE Mykel Williams (wrist)
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