San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy did not practice this week while nursing left shoulder and toe ailments, and on Friday he was ruled out of Sunday’s game at the New Orleans Saints.
Starting under center in Purdy’s place will be Mac Jones, who took all the first-team reps in practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ahead of his first start with the 49ers. The 2021 first-round pick (No. 15 overall) of the New England Patriots signed a two-year deal for $7 million in March.
“Mac’s been awesome,” head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters this week. “Our team really believes in him.”
As for Purdy, general manager John Lynch on Thursday told KNBR radio that the fourth-year signal-caller is “week to week.”
“Brock is doing well,” Lynch told KNBR. “He’s doing a nice job, doing everything he can to get back out there as soon as possible. … But that’s where we’re at, on a week-to-week deal.”
Shanahan told reporters this week that Purdy’s toe injury could keep him for multiple weeks.
Purdy, 25, completed 26 of 35 passes for 277 yards with two TDs and two picks in the season-opening 17-13 victory at Seattle. The 2023 Pro Bowl selection is 24-13 as the starter since being selected with the 262nd and final pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jones, who turned 27 last week, played 10 games with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 after three seasons with the Patriots.
Jones is 20-29 in his career as a starter, completing 65.9 percent of his passes for 10,590 yards with 54 touchdowns and 44 interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl after his rookie campaign.
Adrian Martinez, who has not played in an NFL game, will be elevated to the active roster to back up Jones. Martinez, 25, served as a backup for the New York Jets for one game last season. He’s also spent time with the Detroit Lions.
Already without star tight end George Kittle, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week with a hamstring injury, the 49ers may be without Jauan Jennings (shoulder) and left tackle Trent Williams (knee), who are questionable. Both missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday but did light work on Friday.