Quarterback Brock Purdy will retake the starting quarterback job for the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Purdy sat out the last two games with a turf toe injury. He was a full participant in practice all week, demonstrating just how far he’s progressed and calming fears about his health as the key matchup nears.
Since the injury, Purdy’s recovery has been the subject of scrutiny from coaching staff and fans. Despite not having much practice under his belt before the Week 3 upset over the Arizona Cardinals, you could hardly tell. He’s looked much better this week. By Friday afternoon, he had Coach Kyle Shanahan’s stamp of approval that Purdy would be good to go. Most importantly, he said Purdy would not carry an injury designation into Sunday’s matchup.
The 49ers had even thought about making Purdy their No. 2 in last week’s game, but the coaches nixed that idea. At the time, he had given a pretty guarded status on his health, saying that he would be more of a game-time decision. He was close to making his return last week, but he too remained on the sidelines. Now, he’s the clear favorite to retake his starting quarterback job.
Purdy’s sunny optimism about his recovery has been hard to miss. On Thursday, he remarked on his recovery, stating, “I really like where I’m at with the progress with it healing up and feeling better and dropping back, throwing.” This positive outlook reflects a notable shift from the previous week when he was limited in practice and not engaging significantly in drills.
With Purdy back on the field, that couldn’t be better news for the 49ers right now. At the same time, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones is tending to a left knee injury that puts his status into question. With Purdy’s return, the 49ers’ offense gets back stability and experience. They remain focused as they know the road ahead starts again on Sunday in Jacksonville.
Purdy’s lack of play in the past few games has really been a void for the team. Instead, they have been counting on their depth and resilience to get them through those matches. Now, getting their starting quarterback back will certainly be a lift. His performance will be closely watched as he aims to lead the 49ers to victory and solidify their standings in the league.
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