Brock Purdy Could Shock Everyone by Taking the Field for the 49ers Against the Giants Tonight.QQ
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The 49ers don’t seem to be on the same page with Brock Purdy when it comes to his return from turf toe.
Purdy seems to want to stay sidelined until his toe makes a complete recovery so he doesn’t suffer any more setbacks like he did in Week 4. That was five weeks ago. He’s being cautious, which is understandable, considering the 49ers cleared him to play in that game just two weeks after he suffered the initial injury in the season opener. That was a big mistake on their part. Now, he needs to protect himself.
The 49ers seem to think that Purdy should play if he’s reasonably healthy. After all, they gave him a five-year, $265 million contract this offseason. They’re not paying him all that money to sit on the bench until he feels perfect. He needs to play even when he’s less than 100 percent healthy, too.
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So the last two weeks, the 49ers have made Purdy practice in a limited fashion, plus they’ve taken him on their road trips to Houston and New York. This week, they listed him as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Giants even though Mac Jones will be the starter. Which means Purdy might be his backup.
Again, the 49ers are telling us that Purdy is almost 100 percent healthy. And if they suit him up this Sunday, they’re telling us that they think he’s ready to play.
And that’s why the 49ers would be absolutely crazy to suit up Purdy as Jones’ backup against the Giants. Because if he’s healthy enough to play, then he needs to start. Suiting him up to not play looks like he’s getting benched, which would not be a good look for him or the franchise.
And if he’s not quite healthy enough to play, then he needs to be inactive. Because the backup quarterback always is one play away from being the starter. Jones currently is playing through knee, oblique and shoulder injuries. He limps and grimaces after almost every play.
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If he goes down and Purdy plays and injures his toe for the third time and misses the rest of the season, that’s organization malpractice. Someone might have to get fired for that mistake.
I expect the 49ers will come to their senses and make Purdy inactive this week. I also believe they want him to start next week at home against the Rams. That game will be on grass, as opposed to Sunday’s game, which will be on turf. We’ll see if Purdy cooperates.
Keep in mind, Purdy was playing on grass when he reinjured his toe in Week 4. That was a home game against the Jaguars.
It’s interesting how aggressively the 49ers have pushed Purdy back onto the field this season, as opposed to the Bengals, who have been extremely careful with Joe Burrow after he suffered the same injury as Purdy.
You’d think the 49ers would treat their so-called franchise quarterback with a bit more caution
This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.
