Mac Jones will start for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, the team announced, marking his sixth straight start and eighth of the season. Coach Kyle Shanahan said Brock Purdy remains questionable to be active as he progresses in his recovery from turf toe. Purdy, who first injured the toe in Week 1 and aggravated it in Week 4, did not play last week and was listed among seven inactives. The team also released a partial injury report that ruled out one receiver and listed six other players as questionable.
Key Takeaways
- Mac Jones will start his sixth consecutive game and eighth overall this season for the 49ers.
- Brock Purdy is listed as questionable to dress while rehabbing a turf-toe injury he first suffered in Week 1 and aggravated in Week 4.
- Purdy was one of seven inactives in last week’s game against the New York Giants.
- Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall is ruled out with a knee injury for the upcoming game.
- Linebacker Dee Winters (knee), Tatum Bethune (thigh), guard Ben Bartch (ankle), defensive tackles Alfred Collins (hip) and Kalia Davis (ankle), and defensive lineman Keion White (groin) are all listed as questionable.
- Coach Shanahan confirmed Jones as the starter but said a decision on Purdy’s active status had not been finalized.
Background
The 49ers opened the season with Brock Purdy as their primary starter, but a toe injury first sustained in Week 1 has complicated his availability. Purdy aggravated that injury in Week 4 and has not appeared in a game since, forcing San Francisco to turn to Mac Jones at quarterback. Jones’ run of starts is a direct result of Purdy’s ongoing recovery and the team’s need for continuity at the position as it pursues a playoff push.
Injury management has been a recurring theme for the 49ers this season, with several roster moves aimed at preserving long-term health while competing now. The team’s medical and coaching staffs routinely evaluate activity designations (active, inactive, questionable) ahead of game day; those choices influence depth-chart planning and in-game play-calling. This pattern has placed a premium on backup preparedness and flexible game plans, particularly when a starting quarterback’s status is uncertain.
Main Event
The team confirmed the starting lineup decision in its pregame announcements; Shanahan said, in a report via 49erswebzone, that “It’ll be Mac again starting.” That confirms Jones will receive the first offensive snaps and carry the majority of quarterback duties unless Purdy is activated and cleared to play. Shanahan added that he has not yet decided whether to list Purdy as active, indicating the team is assessing both medical clearance and the tactical implications of having two signal-callers available on game day.
Purdy’s absence from Week 5’s roster as one of seven inactives followed the Week 4 aggravation of the toe injury. He has been limited in practice reports since then, and the coaching staff has described his progress as incremental. The staff’s caution reflects the functional impact of turf toe on planting, cutting and the quick lower-body mechanics required of NFL quarterbacks.
The 49ers’ latest injury report also removed wide receiver Ricky Pearsall from the active list with a knee injury. Multiple defenders and a starting guard were listed as questionable, complicating the team’s defensive availability and the interior offensive line rotation. Shanahan’s game plan will likely account for those absences and the potential limited participation of several veterans.
Analysis & Implications
Short term, starting Jones preserves game-to-game continuity at quarterback and allows Shanahan to script an offense around the player who has taken the majority of recent snaps. That continuity is valuable in play-calling rhythm and in reducing the risk of miscommunication that can arise from late-game quarterback changes. If Purdy is activated but not fully at 100 percent, the team faces the classic trade-off between the benefit of his mobility and experience and the risk of re-aggravating the injury.
From a roster-construction standpoint, the 49ers must balance immediate competitive goals with Purdy’s long-term availability. Activating a quarterback who is not fully recovered can compromise both individual recovery and team performance if the injury limits his mobility or availability in critical moments. Conversely, keeping him inactive delays his on-field rehab under live-game conditions and places greater responsibility on Jones and the offensive line.
League-wide, the situation is a reminder of how soft-tissue and joint injuries—like turf toe—can alter season trajectories. Teams have increasingly leaned on measured returns and conservative timelines for lower-extremity injuries to reduce recurrence. The 49ers’ approach here may influence other teams’ decisions on similar injuries late in the season, especially for positional leaders whose play style stresses the injured area.
Comparison & Data
| Player | Starts this season | Consecutive starts |
|---|---|---|
| Mac Jones | 8 | 6 |
| Brock Purdy | — | Last played Week 4 |
The table highlights Jones’ current workload: eight starts this season, six in a row. Purdy’s entry notes he last played in Week 4; available official numbers for his season starts vary by source and depend on how team designations were applied early in the year. The table is intended to clarify the immediate availability picture rather than provide exhaustive career totals.
Reactions & Quotes
“It’ll be Mac again starting.”
Kyle Shanahan (via David Bonilla, 49ersWebZone)
Shanahan made that declaration in the pregame commentary confirming Jones’ role as the starter. The coach framed the decision as one rooted in current readiness and game-planning continuity.
“I haven’t decided whether to make [Purdy] active or not, but he’s further along this week than last week.”
Kyle Shanahan (via David Bonilla, 49ersWebZone)
That follow-up quote clarifies that Purdy’s status remains contingent on late-week evaluations; Shanahan emphasized incremental progress rather than a firm timeline for return.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Brock Purdy will be listed active on game day remains undecided and could change based on final medical clearance and coach discretion.
- Details on the exact degree of Purdy’s turf-toe healing (e.g., range of motion, pain levels under contact) were not released and remain private to the team medical staff.
Bottom Line
The 49ers will rely on Mac Jones to start while Brock Purdy’s return from turf toe is monitored. Shanahan’s comments indicate the club is managing expectations: progress is being made, but activation will depend on late evaluations and a judgment about game readiness.
For fans and roster watchers, this signals a cautious approach that prioritizes Purdy’s longer-term availability over an immediate, possibly risky, return. Short-term strategy will center on Jones’ ability to execute the game plan and the team’s capacity to cover for other questionable players on defense and the offensive line.
Sources
- NBC Sports / ProFootballTalk (sports journalism)
- San Francisco 49ers Official Site (official team site)
- 49ersWebZone (independent 49ers coverage; quoted source via David Bonilla)