Mac Jones is trending toward a fourth start for the San Francisco 49ers, but Kyle Shanahan refuses to place Brock Purdy on IR despite his troublesome toe injury
18:05 ET, 09 Oct 2025Updated 18:27 ET, 09 Oct 2025
Brock Purdy is unlikely to play in Week 6 due to his lingering toe injury
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Brock Purdy is unlikely to play in Week 6 due to his lingering toe injury(Image: 2025 Brooke Sutton)
The San Francisco 49ers may start Mac Jones against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, with Brock Purdy still not practicing due to a toe injury.
Purdy suffered an injury in the Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks and was expected to be out for two to five weeks. The 49ers have resisted placing the quarterback on the injured reserve list, but Jones is trending toward his fourth start of the season.
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Jones also had an injury scare in the Week 5 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, but should be good to go on Sunday. The backup quarterback has won all three games he has started this season, helping the 49ers to an unlikely 4-1 record with injuries plaguing the roster.
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Even though Purdy is expected to miss out again, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has no plans to place him on IR. "It hasn't been a thought on (placing him on) IR," Shanahan said Wednesday. "He's progressing."
While Purdy missed practice, Jones was a limited participant after dealing with minor oblique and left knee injuries. However, 49ers general manager John Lynch told KNBR that Jones will be healthy on Sunday.
"No, I think we feel pretty good about where he’s going to be," Lynch said. Jones was banged up in a dramatic 26-23 overtime win over the Rams, but managed to complete the game and avoid serious injury.
Mac Jones has boosted his NFL prospects after stepping up for the San Francisco 49ers
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Mac Jones has boosted his NFL prospects after stepping up for the San Francisco 49ers(Image: 2025 Cooper Neill)
At one point, Adrian Martinez was warming up, ready in case Jones had to be removed from the game. Martinez was signed to the 49ers' practice squad in August, with minimal NFL experience after going undrafted in 2023.
"Obviously a guy who hasn't been in your system very long and hasn't gotten a lot of experience very long, you want to be as careful as you can," Shanahan said of Martinez. "But when you're in a 20-20 game or whatever it was at the time someone is taking over, you're going to do what you got to do.
"You get in certain situations, and you've got to find out." When asked about pushing through the pain for the 49ers, Jones said after beating the Rams: "It's my job to be out there."
Jones is 3-0 as a starter for San Francisco this season
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Jones is 3-0 as a starter for San Francisco this season
Jones has kept the team from having another disappointing season so far, and his efforts are even more impressive with so many stars out injured. Tight end George Kittle has been in IR, and wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Brandon Aiyuk have also been injured.
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One of the biggest setbacks was Nick Bosa's season-ending ACL injury, and of course, San Francisco's highest-paid star, Purdy, has been out. Somehow, San Francisco is 4-1, and Jones may have revived his NFL career.
Jones was picked by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft but struggled after his Pro Bowl rookie season. Before landing in San Francisco, Jones played for the Jacksonville Jaguars last year.
Ironically, Purdy's opportunity came due to a crisis at the 49ers, with Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance suffering season-ending injuries. The last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft has proved his doubters wrong and signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension this year.