SANTA CLARA, Calif. – With starter Brock Purdy slowly recovering from the right big toe injury that has kept him sidelined since Week 4, the San Francisco 49ers will again turn to backup Mac Jones on Sunday against the Houston Texans.
This will be Jones’ sixth start of the season and fourth in a row after Purdy aggravated the toe injury he initially suffered in Week 1.
This week, Purdy practiced on a limited basis each day, as he did last week, but he was ruled out in Friday’s injury report.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Purdy has progressed, albeit slowly, and the uncertain nature of the toe injury has made it more difficult to set a return date.
“It’s different than taking care of a toe,” Shanahan said. “But I would say it’s steadily improving every week.”
Unlike previous weeks, Purdy will travel to Houston for the game, with Shanahan noting it’s “two weeks better” than the Niners’ last road trip to Tampa, Fla., to face the Buccaneers.
As has been the case all season, Purdy isn’t the only notable Niner facing the Texans.
Receiver Ricky Pearsall (right knee), defensive ends Bryce Huff (hamstring) and Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) and center Jake Brendel (hamstring) were also ruled out Friday. Like Purdy, Pearsall will miss his fourth straight game because his recovery has been slower than the Niners hoped.
“I don’t think it’s a setback,” Shanahan said. “[It’s] but it’s not going as fast as we wanted. But nothing new happened.”
However, the Niners may soon receive some positive news on the receiver’s injuries. Shanahan said Friday that Brandon Aiyuk could start practicing next week because he remains on the physically unable to perform list due to the knee injury he suffered last season.
“I think he’s getting a lot closer,” Shanahan said. “It could [be next week]. I think we’re working week to week now, so hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later.”
Shanahan said Monday that Brendel and Huff will be out for a few weeks after injuring their hamstrings in last weekend’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Gross-Matos was injured in the Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams and remains out.
Elsewhere in the injury report, the 49ers received more encouraging news regarding their crumbling corner room. Starters Renardo Green (toe), Upton Stout (ankle) and Deommodore Lenoir (quad) were all limited or missed at least one practice this week. But Green and Stout were full participants at the end of the week and do not have an injury designation while Lenoir is listed as questionable after he did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and was limited Friday.
Shanahan said Lenoir is “going in the right direction” and “I feel pretty good about him” playing Sunday. Linebacker Luke Gifford (hamstring) and offensive lineman Spencer Burford (knee) are also questionable. San Francisco opened the 21-day practice window Wednesday for Burford, who was designated to return from injured reserve.
