49ers' season in jeopardy as Brock Purdy's injury prognosis gets worse

Here we go again.

Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) reacts following a failed third down play against the Seattle Seahawks during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The 49ers' season is in danger of falling apart before it even gets started.

The team is 1-0 after a dramatic come-from-behind win on the road against the Seahawks. But their quarterback, Brock Purdy, will miss the next two to five games with a turf toe injury he suffered in Seattle, according to The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

That means Purdy definitely will miss the 49ers' upcoming games against the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals, and it's possible he will miss their games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well. And if he misses all those games, the 49ers might never recover.

I'm guessing the 49ers will keep Purdy on the shelf as long as possible. If they win the next two games without him, they could keep resting him. But if they lose the next two games without him, they could rush him back onto the field in Week 5.

What to expect from Purdy's backup

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The next man up is Mac Jones, who isn't nearly as mobile as Purdy. But Jones throws the ball just a well as Purdy, and he's bigger than Purdy, which means he sees the field better than Purdy.

Unfortunately for Jones, he won't have George Kittle, who's on IR with a hamstring injury. Still, he'll have Ricky Pearsall, Christian McCaffrey, Kyle Juszczyk, Kendrick Bourne, Jauan Jennings possibly and Jake Tonges. He should have enough firepower to beat the Saints at least.

But it's unclear if Trent Williams will play on Sunday. He missed Wednesday's practice with a knee injury. We'll see if he sits out again today. Because if he doesn't play, Jones could get sacked six times. Last week, the Saints sacked Kyler Murray five times, and he's extremely mobile.

Who's to blame for Purdy's latest injury

San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, right, talks with head coach Kyle Shanahan. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Purdy got injured after scrambling out of the pocket and getting tackled by a safety. The tackle didn't seem particularly violent -- it seemed routine. And Purdy didn't show any pain after the play.

Still, he could have protected himself by sliding, something he rarely does. It's worth noting that most of his injuries have occurred while scrambling, which isn't a shock considering he holds the ball a long time and he's small.

Purdy now has gotten injured 3 times in his past 7 starts.

The offensive line also is to blame. If it could block better, Purdy wouldn't have to scramble to often.

And Kyle Shanahan is to blame as well. He's the one who chooses not to invest heavily in the offensive line. And he's the one whose starting quarterbacks always are injured. He couldn't keep Jimmy Garoppolo or Trey Lance upright, and we all know what happened to Robert Griffin III when Shanahan was in Washington.

If the 49ers are going to spend $53 million per season on Purdy, they might want to pair him with a head coach who knows how to keep quarterbacks relatively healthy.