SANTA CLARA, Calif. — In preparation for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, the San Francisco 49ers have been preparing all week to be without starting quarterback Brock Purdy.
On Friday, coach Kyle Shanahan made it official, announcing that Purdy will not play in New Orleans with veteran Mac Jones set to start in his place. Purdy did not practice at all this week as he deals with left shoulder and toe injuries that he suffered in last week's win against the Seattle Seahawks.
Shanahan has indicated that the toe injury — which is similar to turf toe — is the bigger concern for Purdy and that it could keep Purdy out for multiple weeks. Niners general manager John Lynch told KNBR radio on Thursday that Purdy's injury is considered a «week to week» proposition.
With Purdy unavailable to practice this week, Jones took all of the reps with the starting offense on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. He will make his first start as a Niner against the Saints after signing a two-year, $7 million deal in March.
«Mac's been awesome,» Shanahan said. «Our team really believes in him.»
Jones, the No. 15 overall pick of the New England Patriots in the 2021 NFL draft, started seven games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, throwing for eight touchdowns and eight interceptions on his way to a career-low QBR of 36.6 Those struggles followed a solid rookie season (56.9 QBR) and two rough years (QBRs of 38.4 and 37.5) for the Patriots that led to his trade to Jacksonville.
Upon arrival in San Francisco, Jones made it clear that he viewed the role of Purdy's backup as an opportunity to reset his career in Shanahan's offense, similar to how Sam Darnold in 2023.
According to teammates and coaches, Jones had a strong offseason and
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