Brock Purdy Reportedly Could Return Week 3 but 49ers ‘Not Optimistic’ amid Injury

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints, and there reportedly isn’t much optimism he will be available for the team’s Week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals either.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the NFC West team is “not optimistic” about a Week 3 return despite some notable improvement:

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Purdy is dealing with a “variant of turf toe” and was expected to miss between two and five weeks on Sept. 11.

The next day, Purdy was officially ruled out of San Francisco’s Week 2 matchup with the Saints.

He’s also dealing with an issue in his non-throwing shoulder.

The 49ers selected Purdy with the final pick of the 2022 NFL draft, opening his career in a depth role behind Jimmy Garoppolo. He eventually took over for Garoppolo following a foot injury to the incumbent passer, owning a 5-0 record as a starter in the regular season before helping San Francisco reach the NFC Championship Game as a rookie.

Purdy went on to earn a Pro Bowl nod in 2023, setting career highs with a 69.4 completion percentage and 4,280 pass yards to go along with 31 touchdowns. He was also picked off just 11 times, leading all starting quarterbacks with a 113.0 passer rating.

The 49ers finished with a 12-5 record and claimed the NFC title before narrowly falling to the Kansas City Chiefs by the final score of 25-22 in overtime of Super Bowl LVIII.

While Purdy appeared in 15 games last season, injuries took a toll on the rest of San Francisco’s roster and the team ultimately missed the playoffs with a 6-11 record. The signal-caller threw for 3,864 yards and 20 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions.

Until Purdy is able to return this season, Mac Jones will continue to start in his place.

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