The San Francisco 49ers were caught off guard by how significantly quarterback Brock Purdy's shoulder injury has limited him this week. The setback, sustained during last Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks, was not initially expected to sideline him for this weekend's critical matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
On Friday, head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that Purdy had been ruled out for Sunday's game at Lambeau Field. In his absence, veteran quarterback Brandon Allen will helm the offense.
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As for Purdy's availability beyond Week 12, that remains uncertain. While Shanahan does not anticipate the injury being a long-term issue, it's unclear whether the third-year quarterback will be ready for the team's next game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13.
"We got the MRI on Monday," Shanahan said. "We thought he just needed some rest and really weren't concerned about him not being good this week. But when he started up Thursday, it just surprised him, surprised us how it felt. So we had to shut him down. So I really don't know what to think of it."
The MRI results did not initially suggest Purdy would miss time, but his response to trying to practice changed the team's outlook.
"But the way it responded this week, it's really up in the air for next week," Shanahan continued. "So, we'll have to see on Monday."
No one is really certain precisely when Purdy suffered the injury, including the quarterback himself. The effects of the injury just started to become more apparent as Sunday's game progressed.
"Just complained about how tight it was throughout the game and it started happening throughout the game," Shanahan explained. "That's why he was warming up just a lot more than usual. He said he had a hard time keeping it loose. And then, after the game is when it really started to hurt. And then, Monday morning is really why he had to go get an MRI for it."
Purdy's potential absence for Week 13 against the Bills would be another tough blow for a 49ers team sitting at 5-5 and fighting to get back into playoff contention. Losing their offensive leader during this challenging stretch of the season only adds to the uphill battle.
"I think we've had a real good week of practice," Shanahan concluded. "I know it's disappointing. ... I know our guys believe in themselves. I believe in them. ... We've got a lot of good players out there. So, by no means do we not have a chance to win. We're going to go fight our tails off and expect this to be a real good game."