San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is poised to return to action on Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills after missing a game due to a shoulder injury. While Purdy is officially listed as questionable, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed the quarterback is expected to play in the crucial primetime matchup.
Purdy spoke to reporters on Friday, signaling his readiness to suit up at a snow-covered Highmark Stadium.
Purdy shed light on his recovery process, explaining to reporters that he turned a corner this week, finally being able to throw with consistency during Thursday's session, which was closed to the media due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
"That's when I practiced and felt good about it," Purdy said. "And then today, I felt really good at practice too."
Purdy underwent two MRIs last week after experiencing shoulder soreness following the 49ers' Week 11 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The initial MRI revealed no serious issues, and the team remained optimistic he could play in the next game against the Green Bay Packers. However, a second MRI was performed when Purdy's recovery stalled during the week.
"Anytime you go through an injury and stuff like that, you want to know what's going on with your body, and how long something could be or if something's serious or not, if you're healthy or not," Purdy explained. "So all those things definitely ran through my mind. But glad everything was clean with the MRI, and knowing that we had a plan to get ready for this week, and I'm ready to go now."
Purdy recalled the last time he missed a game because he could not play—in his junior year of high school when he was sidelined with mononucleosis. Missing Week 12's matchup at Lambeau Field due to an injury was a rare and unfamiliar experience for the third-year quarterback.
Purdy is confident in his ability to perform without limitations against the Bills, noting that he's made every throw in the past two practices.
"If I'm out there playing, which is the plan, then I'll be able to make every throw that we have drawn up," Purdy said. "I wouldn't go out there playing not 100%. I want to go out there feeling really good and have the confidence to make every throw."
Shanahan echoed that sentiment, stating, "Brock wouldn't be playing if he wasn't 100% at it. So, I think the fact that he's going to be playing means he's healthy."
One challenge for Purdy will be the absence of key offensive linemen. Left tackle Trent Williams has been ruled out due to an ankle injury, and left guard Aaron Banks remains in concussion protocol. Most believe that will pose a significant challenge for the quarterback, who faces a 9-2 Bills team riding a six-game winning streak.
"Obviously, you'd love to have your guys that are starting play, but that's the NFL, and I have all the trust in the world in the guys that we have behind our starters," Purdy said. "And so, Jaylon Moore, I think, has done a great job coming in, and then, Ben Bartch, we know he's had a history of playing as a starter in the NFL.
"That's part of the game. Guys get banged up, guys get thrown in. But with the unit that we've had, I think we've had guys that have a lot of reps and have trust in them for sure."
Purdy returns as the 5-6 49ers fight to keep their playoff hopes alive. A strong showing in Buffalo could mark a turning point in an adversity-filled season.
