Brock Purdy returned from injury for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter after Josh Johnson had to leave the game. Johnson is being evaluated for a concussion, per the 49ers.
Purdy suffered an elbow injury in the first quarter after getting sacked by Haason Reddick and losing a fumble. Purdy was officially listed as questionable to return but didn't play again until Johnson was forced out. It's unclear if Purdy can actually throw the ball down the field.
Johnson entered on San Francisco's second series and continued on while Purdy was examined by the medical staff. The 49ers' defense initially held strong after giving up the opening-drive touchdown, which came in controversial fashion after replays showed a big one-handed catch by DeVonta Smith should have been ruled a drop. Kyle Shanahan didn't challenge the play, leading to a Miles Sanders touchdown.
Article Continues BelowSan Francisco tied the game at 7-7 thanks to a Christian McCaffrey touchdown run, but a number of defensive penalties helped Philly score a touchdown to make it 14-7. Johnson then fumbled a clean snap, leading to the Eagles taking a 21-7 lead at halftime.
Purdy has been one of the best stories in the NFL this season, not having lost a single game (5-0 in regular season, 2-0 in playoffs) after being Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL Draft. Purdy was pressed into service after both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo suffered injuries in the regular season. Lance is done for the season, but there's an outside chance Garoppolo can play in the Super Bowl if San Francisco pulls off a miracle.
We'll see if Brock Purdy actually finishes this game. It seems Christian McCaffrey and Kyle Juszczyk are emergency quarterbacks if needed.