The San Francisco 49ers continue to ramp up Brock Purdy's workload this week, with head coach Kyle Shanahan indicating that the quarterback is on pace to return as the starter for Sunday's matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.

There hasn't been any rush to get Purdy back on the field, thanks to the strong play of backup Mac Jones, who has helped the 49ers remain competitive in Purdy's absence. That success allowed the team to stay patient with their franchise quarterback's recovery.


Still, Jones' impressive stretch has fueled speculation among some fans and media members about whether a quarterback change might be necessary—even if Purdy is cleared to play.

General manager John Lynch joined Bay Area radio station KNBR on Thursday and addressed the chatter, first praising Jones for his performance filling in for Purdy.

"I think we're really fortunate to have a great quarterback room and a lot of depth at that position," Lynch said. "It was a tough deal after Brock played, really, at a high level against a high-level Seattle Seahawks defense in game one. That's the game he had his injury. Mac came in, won us a couple of games, and then we got Brock back in there, and he got dinged again.

"I think Mac went 5-3, and really played at a high level. So, really grateful that Mac has played at this level."

Earlier this week, Shanahan emphasized that Purdy must complete a strong week of practice before being cleared to return to action.


"We want to see it, want to hear from him, and want three aggressive practices, and want to make sure he feels good after all of them each day, too," Shanahan said.

Purdy was a limited participant during Wednesday's practice but appeared to be moving well, suggesting he's trending toward a return against the Cardinals on Sunday.

As for any talk of a quarterback controversy, Lynch was firm that the starting job belongs to Purdy.

"This is Brock's team, and when he's healthy and able, he'll be back out there," Lynch said. "I think he got off to a good start with that yesterday. Thursday is usually our heavy-lifting day. That's our most intense practice during the course of the week.

"And so, today's a big day towards that, and we'll have them both ready, and we'll see where it goes by the end of the week."


When asked about Purdy's potential availability this weekend, Lynch added, "We're seeing how the week goes, and if he shows that his health and his ability to perform at a level that we know Brock can play at, then yeah, he'll be out there. But we'll see as the week goes on."



Follow us on: X, Facebook, Threads, Instagram

Read Original Article
Visit 49ers Webzone

More San Francisco 49ers News