49ers don't expect Brock Purdy's toe to make a full recovery this year

One DL out, another one in?

September 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) during the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

An MRI today revealed that Mykel Williams has torn his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season. Brock Purdy remains in turf toe limbo. Rumors heading into tomorrow’s trade deadline have the Niners in the mix for several targets. Let’s sort it all out.

Why doesn’t the NFL mandate all grass fields?

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Another one bites the dust at MetLife. The turf from hell takes out yet another 49er first round defensive lineman. Williams played just under two-thirds of all defensive snaps this year.

According to national reports on the collective bargaining agreement talks, owners are hoping that the players push for all grass fields in exchange for conceding an economic point in the CBA talks. Just one problem  — they’re not.

Players believe all grass fields should be mandatory for the good of the sport and the health of the players. Owners say it’s too expensive or difficult to implement all grass fields. Therefore, the stalemate of the past several years.

Implementation is no longer a legitimate concern. La Liga soccer powerhouse Real Madrid has installed a state-of-the-art “pitch removal” system at Santiago Bernabeu that automates everything. The grass field can be replaced with other surfaces as necessary.

Good stewardship of the sport by Commissioner Roger Goodell would make all grass surfaces a priority, but he prioritizes the needs of the owners. Some politicians have been rumored to be interested in forcing the NFL to implement all-grass fields; short of that, the stalemate will continue.

Will Brock Purdy have surgery on his injured turf toe?

Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

In 2023, Johns Hopkins updated its research findings on athletes with turf toe, concluding that less than 2% of turf toe cases require surgery.

They found that athletes with grade III injuries (severe tear), damage to the MTP joint, evidence of bone injury, and severe instability do require surgery. Based on reports to date, Purdy does not have that level of severity and therefore would not have surgery.

The study indicates that athletes not undergoing surgery can recover in a three-phase treatment period lasting up to ten weeks. That’s not guaranteed to work, though. The study found that athletes with higher grade injuries have a 70% chance of returning to past performance. That’s still a pretty high 30% who don’t.

This is a difficult injury for Purdy. Turf toe can be manageable one play and in serious pain the next. Based on the study, no surgery for Purdy and up to ten weeks of rest, and worst of all, even with the rest it may not help.

So, given all that, should Mac Jones be Plan B?

Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

For this season, he may have to be. Ten weeks from the Jacksonville game would put Purdy back on the field after the bye week, playing Tennessee in Week 15. At that point, the team may be better served to let Jones play out the year.

Long term, if Purdy doesn’t have surgery and falls in the 30% who do not return to past performance, the Niners will need to pivot to Jones. He is under contract for this season and next. Re-signing Jones after that can get expensive, but trading Purdy would be difficult if he’s damaged goods on that contract.

The Niners can move on with a post-June 1 designation in the 2027 off-season; Purdy’s contract only carries a $5 million dead cap hit at that point. However, re-signing Jones and keeping Purdy until then means paying both QBs a high salary for that one year.

With no easy solutions, the Niners will hope that Purdy can get the time he needs to recover and will then return to past performance. If not, it gets tricky and expensive.

What goes down at the trade deadline?

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Philadelphia sent a 3rd to Miami for Jaelen Phillips in a trade predicted in this space yesterday. The value to the Niners is that the one team willing to overpay to get their target is now off the board. The 49ers move to the head of the edge line, followed by Dallas.

Trey Hendrickson—Cincinnati continues to demand a first. I don’t see the Niners caving on that; my guess is they offer a McCaffrey-lite trade package with multiple day two picks over multiple years. With Philly gone, the Bengals no longer have a suitor willing to give a 1st. So this may come down to the minutes before the deadline.

The Niners are also interested in pass coverage LB Logan Wilson and DB Cam Taylor-Britt.

Kayvon Thibodeaux—The Giants say he is not available, and since he’s under contract through 2026, that makes sense.

Bradley Chubb—If Miami is willing to let go of both edges, the Niners would now be front-runners to land Chubb.

Jermaine Johnson—The Jets are asking for a 2nd rounder. I can see the Niners offering a 3rd and change (Jauan Jennings, Ji’Ayir Brown). Fans always hope for players out and keep the picks, but picks will likely be required ante. Several Jets would be of significant interest to the Niners, including DT Quinnen Williams, LB Quincy Williams, and RB Breece Hall.

Other edge targets could include Green Bay’s Kingsley Enagbare and Tennessee’s Arden Key. Long-shot options mentioned by ESPN and others include New Orleans receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.

The trade deadline is Tuesday at 1 pm Pacific.