Kyle Shanahan Shares Unsettling Injury Update About 49ers QB Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that quarterback Brock Purdy will not practice on Wednesday.

Shanahan labeled Purdy as a “long shot” to play in Week 2’s game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. That would line up Mac Jones to make his first career start with San Francisco.

The 49ers are 1-0 after defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, but that victory came with a price. Purdy suffered a shoulder and toe injury, with the toe being regarded as more problematic for the fourth-year quarterback. The Niners also lost tight end George Kittle with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for at least four weeks on the team’s injured reserve.

This week, Shanahan said that the 49ers might need to add another quarterback to back up Jones. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke is on San Francisco’s depth chart, but he might not even play in 2025 due to a partially torn ACL that required surgery.

Purdy was 26-of-35 passing for 277 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Seahawks in Week 1. As the backup of the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, Jones appeared in 10 games, starting 10 of them. The former New England Patriots starting quarterback threw eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, completing 65 percent of his passes for 1,672 yards.

It seems like there might not be much good news for San Francisco. But, it might not be all that bad. They play the Saints, who are widely considered to be the worst team in the NFL.

New Orleans suffered a 20-13 loss against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1. Saints starting quarterback Spencer Rattler went 27-for-46 for 214 yards.

New Orleans does not have many offensive weapons, either. Outside of Juwan Johnson, Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara, there’s just not much meat on that bone. As long as Jones could keep the sticks moving, San Francisco could find a way to beat the Saints without Purdy and Kittle healthy.

Christian McCaffrey could be a big piece of Shanahan’s gameplan, especially undermanned. He had an injury scare before Week 1 but was able to play. He had 22 rushing attempts for 69 yards and did not find the endzone. He added nine big receptions for 73 yards through the air. Without Purdy and Kittle, look for the Niners to get their do-it-all back some action in Week 2.

If Purdy misses extended time, the 49ers will want some reinforcements. Free agent quarterback Carson Wentz signed with the Minnesota Vikings, so their options will be bleak, but they’re going to need to add somebody to back up Jones.