Purdy injured his toe during the 49ers' Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks, forcing him to miss last weekend's matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Although the quarterback has been a limited participant in practice this week, signs point to Mac Jones making his second consecutive start under center for San Francisco.
Shanahan praised Purdy's recovery progress but tempered expectations.
"I thought he had a good week," Shanahan said. "Hopefully, we can get him up for the game. ... I think it's highly unlikely that he'll start, but just trying to see where he's at to see if he could be a two or an emergency three."
The 49ers' priority is ensuring Purdy's injury doesn't worsen, meaning a final decision likely won't come until the weekend.
"Probably won't know for sure until Sunday on that, but that's why I think it's highly unlikely he'd be out there as a starter," Shanahan explained.
Protecting Purdy for the long term remains the organization's focus. Shanahan emphasized that the 25-year-old quarterback is pushing hard to return but is also realistic about his condition.
"Brock pushes himself to go as hard as anyone I've been around, but he's very level-headed in terms of being realistic," Shanahan noted. "And he doesn't just talk with his heart. He works with his heart, but he talks with his mind, and lets us really know what the chances are of it. And if you can't do it, he'll let you know."
Shanahan added, "He'll be honest all the way up to kickoff."
Related News
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
Former teammate says best is yet to come for 49ers QB Brock Purdy
The debate surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy continues, even a year after he became one of the NFL's highest-paid players. Despite his accomplishments, questions persist about where Purdy belongs among the league's elite quarterbacks. Purdy was left off... -
49ers QB Brock Purdy becoming an intriguing fantasy football option
There is still plenty of debate over where San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy ranks among the NFL's elite signal-callers. His omission from ESPN's recent top-10 quarterback rankings only intensified those discussions. While Purdy isn't expected to be one of the first... -
49ers QB Brock Purdy lands surprising spot in 2026 fantasy football rankings
Where does San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy rank among the NFL's top fantasy football quarterbacks entering the 2026 season? NFL Media's Dan Parr released his fantasy football quarterback rankings for NFL.com, organizing the league's top signal-callers into draft... -
49ers' Brock Purdy left out of ESPN's top-10 quarterback rankings
The debate over where San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy ranks among the NFL's elite continues. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler continued his annual NFL position rankings this week, unveiling his list of the league's top quarterbacks. The rankings are based on feedback from NFL...