Ahead of the San Francisco 49ers' matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, fans are still wondering about the road to recovery for star quarterback Brock Purdy. As 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Purdy has a chance to play in Week 3, the latest bit of information could signal a positive step.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Purdy was “on the field” to begin Thursday's practice session, despite suffering from both toe and shoulder injuries. Purdy would suffer the issues during San Francisco's opening 17-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks, leading to backup Mac Jones starting in the 26-21 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
“49ers QB Brock Purdy, dealing with a toe and left shoulder injury, is on the field at the start of today’s practice,” Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
There was a belief that Purdy had a chance to miss a multitude of weeks, but Shanahan would say on Wednesday that there is a “chance” that Purdy comes back. Even if he doesn't, the fact that there is a slight chance proves how well Purdy has progressed through the injuries.
“Yeah, he does have a chance,” Shanahan said, according to NFL.com.
A Brock Purdy return to the 49ers would be “tight”
While the rumors around the 49ers and Purdy will heat up ahead of Sunday against the Cardinals, there have been previous reports regarding the quarterback's chance to play. One from Schefter last Sunday mentioned how the team is “not optimistic” Purdy would return for Week 3.
“49ers are not optimistic Brock Purdy will return from his turf toe injury for a Week 3 matchup vs. Arizona, but it's not out of the question, and he has improved,” Schefter wrote.
The NFL insider would even quote a source who said that a return would be “tight.”
“We’ll see for next week,” the source said about Purdy. “Next week will be tight, but he progressed a lot this week.”
At any rate, the one takeaway from it all is that Purdy has no doubt made major progress for there to be even a chance. If he doesn't start, it will be Jones once again to lead San Francisco on Sunday against Arizona with the team at 2-0.
