Former Patriots first-round pick Mac Jones will make his 50th career start in Week 2 for the 49ers.
Former Patriots first-round pick Mac Jones will make his 50th career start in Week 2 for the 49ers.Godofredo A. Vásquez/Associated Press
Kyle Shanahan’s answers were short and to the point Wednesday when discussing the toe and shoulder injuries for 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
Will Brock be able to play Sunday?
“I think it’s a long shot.”
Could it be multiple weeks?
“That’s possible.”
And it’s the toe more than the shoulder?
“Yes.”
What Shanahan probably was thinking: “I can’t believe this is happening again.”
Purdy injured his big toe in last week’s 17-13 win over the Seahawks, and the 49ers say he will be out anywhere from two to five weeks, though they are cautiously optimistic it will be on the shorter side. Former Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, in his fifth NFL season and first in San Francisco, will start while Purdy is out.
Shanahan called Jones’s preparation and performance last week “awesome.”
“The same this week as he has been all camp,” Shanahan said Friday. “Our team really believes in him, our team really enjoys him, and he did a hell of a job this week in practice.”
Shanahan is in his ninth season as the 49ers’ head coach, and when his starting quarterback is healthy, the season usually goes well — Super Bowl trips in 2019 and 2023 and a conference championship game in 2021.
But his quarterbacks also have gotten hurt — a lot. Only in 2022, when Trey Lance broke his ankle in Week 2 and Jimmy Garoppolo hurt his ankle in December, did the 49ers still make it deep into the playoffs, though Purdy also went down with an injured elbow.
Otherwise, the 49ers have had several seasons spoiled by quarterback injuries.
In 2018, Garoppolo’s first full season after going 5-0 and earning a big offseason contract, Garoppolo tore his ACL in Week 3 and the Niners finished 4-12. In 2020, coming off a Super Bowl appearance, an ankle sprain cost Garoppolo 10 games as the 49ers went 6-10. And last year, coming off another Super Bowl, Purdy missed two games with various injuries, while Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and about half the team landed on injured reserve as the Niners went 6-11.
Now the 49ers will have to make do without Purdy for Sunday’s game at New Orleans, and possibly upcoming home games against the Cardinals and Jaguars. This after the 49ers just invested $182 million fully guaranteed into Purdy this offseason.
The 49ers also signed Jones this offseason for two years and $8.4 million, though Shanahan did not exactly offer a ringing endorsement. They also have former UFL MVP Adrian Martinez, and worked out veteran Mike White Wednesday.
“I think Mac knows how to play the position,” Shanahan said. “He can play well in the pocket, distributes the ball well, sees coverage well, can play fast in there. He’s got a lot of good film from the NFL with the experience and obviously college. Tough guy who will hang in there and deliver the ball where it needs to go.”
For Jones, 27, it’s a rare third opportunity to prove himself.
The No. 15 pick in 2021 went 10-7 as a rookie for the Patriots but 8-17 over the next two seasons as he fell out of favor with Bill Belichick and eventually was dumped by Jerod Mayo. Jones resurfaced last year as Trevor Lawrence’s backup in Jacksonville, and got to start the final seven games after Lawrence went down with an injury. Jones compiled an 80.5 passer rating with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions, while going 2-5 as a starter, with both wins over Tennessee. Jones went 0-2 against the Saints while with the Patriots (28-13 and 34-0 losses), with one touchdown and five interceptions.
“I’m just blessed to be here, and really thankful for the people here who’ve allowed me to get back on track,” Jones said Friday. “Obviously, there’s a lot more to do and got to be ready for this Sunday and go out there and have fun and let it fly.”
Jones’s start will represent somewhat of a full-circle moment for him and Shanahan. One of the hottest rumors leading into the 2021 NFL Draft was that the 49ers, who traded three first-round picks to move from No. 12 to No. 3, did so to draft Jones. Instead, they took Lance, and Jones fell to the Patriots.
This spring, Jones joked that after signing with the 49ers, he and Shanahan “got in a huge fight” over the 2021 draft decision.
“The world works in mysterious ways,” Jones said. “You go where you go in the draft, right? You don’t get a lot of choice over that, but I’m definitely excited to be here now.”
Shanahan’s offense has helped turn ordinary quarterbacks like Garoppolo and Purdy into something more. Jones’s physical skills aren’t much different than those of Purdy, who was the 262nd pick of the 2022 draft and wasn’t projected to be an elite starter.
“I mean, they’re real similar in terms of how they play the game,” Shanahan said of Jones and Purdy. “They’re both extremely tough. They both can distribute the ball. I don’t know who has a faster 40, Brock could say he’s a little bit better for a scrambler. But they’re close to similar.”
But Purdy and Garoppolo only thrived when they were surrounded by superstars like Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Aiyuk. Jones won’t have Kittle, who went on injured reserve during the week with a hamstring injury, and the 49ers’ receiving corps is a work in progress with new faces Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne, who signed last week after being released by the Patriots.
The 49ers badly need Jones just to keep them afloat until Purdy returns.
“It’s in the front side of the season here, and I feel prepared,” Jones said. “I’ve been working for this and fortunate to have started, I think this is my 50th game [to start] in the NFL, so I have my routine down, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
Ricky Pearsall will serve as a primary target for Mac Jones. The second-year wideout totaled 108 yards in Week 1.
Ricky Pearsall will serve as a primary target for Mac Jones. The second-year wideout totaled 108 yards in Week 1.John Froschauer/Associated Press
Stop drafting kickers
Misses point to
poor picking
The 49ers had an eventful week, as they also switched kickers after just one game. Jake Moody missed a 27-yarder and had a 36-yarder blocked, leading the 49ers to release him and sign journeyman Eddy Pineiro, now on his seventh NFL team. Moody subsequently signed with the Bears’ practice squad Friday.
The 49ers didn’t make this move hastily. Moody finished 30th in field goal percentage in 2024 (70.6 percent), and went 11 for 20 over his final nine games.
Shanahan compared Moody to a golfer tinkering too much with his swing.
“When your stroke in golf is changing all the time and you’re trying to fix things, trying to try not to miss, it’s very hard to succeed at this level that way,” Shanahan said. “When it gets to that point, you can see it affecting him from a mental game. Then you don’t have much choice. You’ve got to move on.”
It still had to be tough for the 49ers, who drafted Moody in the third round (99th) in 2023. Moody was the second-highest pick used on a kicker between 2006-25, behind Roberto Aguayo (second round in 2016). But it further drives the point home for NFL teams — stop drafting kickers.
The Patriots haven’t learned their lesson. They used a fifth-round pick in 2020 on a kicker who never suited up for a game (Justin Rohrwasser), then used a fourth-round pick in ′23 on Chad Ryland, who lasted one season before being released. This year, they used a sixth-round pick on Andres Borregales, who missed his first NFL attempt, a 40-yarder.
The kickers drafted in 2024 (Will Reichard, Cam Little, and Josh Karty) have done well so far, and drafted kickers such as Tyler Bass and Jake Elliott have thrived.
But the three kickers drafted in 2023 all have been released. The 2022 kicker (Cade York) has been on three teams, the ′21 kicker (Evan McPherson) was bottom five last season, and the two kickers from ′20 (Sam Sloman and Rohrwasser) were both out of the NFL after one season. Aguayo, the second-round pick in 2016, was out of the league after one season, too.
Meanwhile, the two All-Pro kickers from 2024 were undrafted (Chris Boswell, Brandon Aubrey), as were the top seven scorers. Justin Tucker, one of the best all time, was undrafted.
The moral: There are plenty of talented kickers available on the street, and the pressure of getting drafted is too much for many kickers to handle.
DeMario Douglas celebrated after scoring the Patriots' first touchdown of the season, but finished the game with -2 yards receiving.
DeMario Douglas celebrated after scoring the Patriots' first touchdown of the season, but finished the game with -2 yards receiving.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Numbers tell story
Handful of notes
on the Patriots
▪ It didn’t get any attention, but receiver DeMario Douglas had an all-time crazy stat line in the Week 1 loss to the Raiders. Douglas became the only player in NFL history to have at least seven targets, a touchdown catch, and finish with negative yardage – 2 catches on 7 targets for minus-2 yards and the TD. The previous low was 1 yard by Bears tight end Greg Olsen in 2009. Douglas caught 76 percent of his targets in 2024 but is off to a rough start.
▪ Tre Tucker’s 36-yard catch marked the first time in two years the Patriots allowed a conversion on third or fourth and 20 or more (Sam Howell ran for 24 yards on third and 23 in 2023). The Patriots once went seven seasons (2013-20) without allowing such a long conversion.
▪ The Patriots are getting younger. Per the NFL, the Week 1 roster had the second-least experience in the league, averaging 3.83 years of service. Only the Packers (3.41) had less.
▪ The Patriots have the fifth-youngest team (average age: 26), are tied for the second-most rookies (13), and have the sixth-fewest players over 30 (seven). They also lead the NFL with 14 players over 300 pounds, though they are just the 19th-heaviest team (245.39 pounds).
Micah Parsons has 1.5 sacks through two games with his new team, the Green Bay Packers.
Micah Parsons has 1.5 sacks through two games with his new team, the Green Bay Packers.Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press
Coordinated effort
Hafley’s defense
buzzing in GB
Jeff Hafley left his head coaching job at Boston College to become a defensive coordinator in the NFL. He might not remain in the coordinator ranks for long.
Micah Parsons has been the talk of Green Bay, deservedly so, as the Packers have raced out to a 2-0 start with impressive wins over the Lions and Commanders. The victories have also underscored the impressive work Hafley has done in two years as defensive coordinator.
Last year, Hafley’s first, the Packers jumped from No. 17 to 5 in total defense, and No. 10 to 6 in points allowed. This year, they have throttled two of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses (based on last year, at least).
The Packers held the Lions to just 246 total yards in a 27-13 win, and the Commanders to 230 yards in a 27-18 win. Hafley limited Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs to just 50 yards on 19 touches, and forced Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels into one of his worst days as a pro, completing just 24 of 42 passes with four sacks.
Parsons certainly has been an instant force, picking up a sack in his Packers debut, then compiling half a sack, three quarterback hits, and eight pressures on Thursday night. But he has only played 57 percent of snaps, so the Packers’ success goes far beyond Parsons.
The Packers have the look of a Super Bowl team, and Hafley might soon get a lot of buzz as a head coaching candidate.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting at Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting at Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.Matt Slocum/Associated Press
Precedent established
Time served
for Eagles’ Carter
The NFL, Jalen Carter, and the Eagles created new precedent last week with a settlement on his punishment for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 1.
The NFL announced the defensive tackle was suspended for one game, but since the ejection occurred before Carter played a snap, the NFL considered his ejection to be his ban. The league docked Carter his Week 1 paycheck ($57,222), but will allow him to play in Week 2 against the Chiefs.
All sides emerged from this relatively pleased with the outcome. The NFL, which made sportsmanship a point of emphasis in the offseason, increases the punishment for spitting from a fine to a suspension. The Eagles get their star defensive tackle back for their Week 2 showdown. And Carter got the Eagles to agree not to void his guarantees over his suspension, which they had the right to do.
Extra points
While local governments in Las Vegas, Buffalo, and Nashville forked over nearly $2.5 billion combined in taxpayer money for new NFL stadiums, the Broncos announced plans last week for a new privately financed, retractable-roof stadium that would revitalize a rundown part of Denver, compete for Super Bowls and other major events, and be ready for 2031. The project may require public infrastructure investments and tax credits, but the Walton-Penner family, of Wal-Mart fortune, promised no new taxes. “It can turn a town against a team,” Colorado Governor Jared Polis told the Denver Post. “The Penners said right away that they were going to do private investment. We said, ‘Great. How can we help?’ ” … A few head coaches were still in preseason form in Week 1. Titans coach Brian Callahan didn’t challenge a potential catch because he didn’t know that one elbow equals two feet. And Bears coach Ben Johnson should have kicked off out of bounds to preserve the two-minute warning in Monday’s loss to the Vikings. The Bears instead kicked away, and the Vikings were able to run out the clock … Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has won 13 games in a row over the Giants after starting his career 0-2. The all-time record is 17 consecutive wins by Dolphins QB Bob Griese over the Bills … Speaking of the Dolphins, Holliston native Chris Grier is believed to be the longest-tenured general manager in NFL history never to win a playoff game. Grier is 75-74 over 10 seasons, but 0-3 in the playoffs … Expect to see a lot more veteran free agents being signed. Per NFL rules, players with four or more years of NFL service get their season-long salary fully guaranteed if they are on a Week 1 roster, but starting in Week 2 they only get paid week to week. It’s probably why former Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers didn’t sign with the Steelers until Week 2, and why the Cowboys suddenly showed interest in linebacker Jadeveon Clowney … New Lions offensive coordinator John Morton on Thursday after the Lions scored just 13 points, with 7 coming in garbage time: “Nobody’s in panic mode.” Translation: It’s panic time … Twenty-two of 32 first-round picks started in Week 1, as did nine of 32 second-round picks, and 13 other rookies (excluding special teams). The lowest draft pick to start was Bills cornerback Dorian Strong (sixth round, No. 177) … Dillon Gabriel is the Browns’ backup quarterback, andBailey Zappe is reportedly running the scout team, which means Shedeur Sanders is little more than a bystander at practice … The Ravens are inviting bad karma Sunday when they celebrate their 30th year in Baltimore. The celebration itself is fine, but to do it with the Browns in town reeks of bad taste, like when the Titans wear their Oilers throwbacks against Houston.
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.