For the first time since suffering a toe injury in Week 4, the San Francisco 49ers did not rule out quarterback Brock Purdy ahead of an upcoming game. Purdy remained a limited participant in practice this week but was officially listed as questionable for Sunday's matchup against the New York Giants.
So, what does that mean? Simply put, Purdy is showing progress in his recovery—though he's not quite ready for a full return.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan clarified that the "questionable" tag doesn't necessarily mean fans should expect Purdy to take the field this weekend. Instead, it indicates that the quarterback has a chance to be available.
Shanahan confirmed that Mac Jones will make his seventh start of the season against the Giants.
As for Purdy's toe injury, Shanahan said, "No, it's not fully healthy."
"He didn't get all the starter reps this week," Shanahan added. "As soon as he had a chance to get through practice and stuff, the first time (ahead of Week 4), we let him get all those starter reps, and it was great. And then, there was a chance he could re-hurt it in the game, and he did, and he's been out for the last month.
"He got more reps this week, but we weren't going to commit to all of that, like we did last time. I think it's easing him back more than last time."
The lingering injury has understandably been frustrating for Purdy, who entered the season with high expectations after signing a massive contract extension during the offseason.
"Brock's a pretty composed guy, so he's not going to get real emotional either way," Shanahan said. "In either situation, he's never going to get too up or too down. But just speaking for him, I know he's frustrated. Anytime you have stuff that you haven't had before that lingers—Brock is more frustrated than anyone that he can't be out there."
Purdy has spoken with several players who've dealt with similar injuries and understands the recovery timeline can be unpredictable.
"But I think anytime you have something that doesn't go away, it's frustrating," Shanahan added. "... It's something he's dealing with, but I know we're getting closer."
With Purdy's recovery trending in the right direction, the 49ers remain optimistic that their starting quarterback could soon make his long-awaited return. For now, Jones will continue to lead the offense in Week 9.