49ers QB Brock Purdy (toe) returns to practice, though limited - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy returned to practice Wednesday, the first significant step in the direction of a potential return from the toe injury he aggravated in Week 4.

Purdy, who will be limited in practice this week according to coach Kyle Shanahan, initially injured the toe in a Week 1 win against the Seattle Seahawks. He missed two games and returned against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 28 but aggravated the injury in that game and has not played or practiced since.

The absence of Purdy paired with injuries to backup Mac Jones (knee/oblique) has left the Niners practicing without their top two quarterbacks for chunks of the season. Jones was also limited Wednesday, though Shanahan indicated Jones would do more than Purdy.

«Brock is more limited than Mac,» Shanahan said. «Injuries frustrate people, but Brock is handling it right like he does everything. I know he's itching to get back.»

Before that Week 4 contest, the opposite was true as Jones was more limited during the week than Purdy with Purdy eventually starting.

Purdy and Jones will continue to be monitored as the week goes on with the Niners having a bit of extra rest because they play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night with an 8:20 ET kickoff.

There's a chance that whichever quarterback starts against the Falcons will have a key part of the offense returning in the form of tight end George Kittle. The Niners officially opened Kittle's 21-day practice window on Wednesday and are hoping to have Kittle available against Atlanta.

Even during the team's Wednesday morning walkthrough, multiple Niners said Kittle's energy was palpable as he works his way back from what Shanahan called a «big» hamstring pull. «I think it