The San Francisco 49ers have been bitten by the injury bug early this year. Tight end George Kittle was placed on injured reserve this week with a hamstring injury, and now quarterback Brock Purdy could potentially miss multiple games.
Coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Wednesday that Purdy is a “long shot” to play in Week 2 vs. the New Orleans Saints due to toe and left shoulder injuries. Backup Mac Jones is line to start for San Francisco this week — and, potentially, for multiple weeks.
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Purdy suffered the injuries during San Francisco’s 17-13 victory over the rival Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. He completed 26 of 35 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions. This offseason, the former “Mr. Irrelevant” put pen to paper on a massive five-year, $265 million contract.
The 49ers went 0-2 without Purdy under center last season, losing both games by at least 23 points. However, San Francisco played those matchups with Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs at quarterback. The 49ers have high hopes for Jones, whom the franchise considered selecting with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft before ultimately landing on Trey Lance.
Jones spent last season with the Jaguars and went 2-5 as the starter while throwing for 1,672 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Alabama product spent his first three NFL seasons with the New England Patriots, where he went 18-24 as the starter in that span. Jones made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, when he threw for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while going 10-7 and taking New England to the postseason as a wild card.
