Nick WagonerNov 13, 2025, 07:11 PM ETCloseNick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga.Follow on X
George Kittle’s deep relationship with veterans (5:40)49ers star George Kittle has deep connections with veterans. Learn the story of his relationship with retired Army veteran Chris Kleinsorge. (5:40)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Barring a setback between now and then, Brock Purdy will step back into his role as the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Purdy, who has been out with a right big toe injury since a Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, said Thursday that, assuming he gets through the next couple of days without any issues, he will start in Arizona. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan also confirmed Purdy’s impending return in a taped weekly conversation with NBC Sports Bay Area.
Purdy was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday when Shanahan said he would be an “aggressive” limited participant this week with an eye toward returning after a six-week absence. But Purdy was actually a full participant in Thursday’s session.
Purdy initially injured the toe against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, missed a pair of games and then returned in Week 4 against Jacksonville. While Shanahan has said Purdy was “a little off” going into that game, Purdy said Thursday that he felt good going into that game and he aggravated the toe injury because it got “caught in a bad position.”
During that time, Purdy did not go on injured reserve in part because the 49ers wanted him to be able to practice to see how the toe would respond. Purdy said Thursday that surgery was never really an option.
“I had a turf toe variation,” Purdy said. “But from multiple sources and doctors and everything, we looked at it, and they said there’s no need for surgery.”
With Purdy on the sideline, Jones performed well, keeping the 6-4 Niners afloat in the NFC playoff picture and race for the NFC West crown.
Jones ranks second in the NFL in passing yards per game (268.9), eighth in completion percentage over expectation (3.1), ninth in completion percentage (69.6) and 10th in yards per attempt (7.4) in his eight starts. His 65.1 QBR ranks 12th in the league with the Niners holding a 5-3 record in games he’s started.
In practice this week, Purdy has been taking the bulk of the reps with the starting offense and going through individual drills first in line. Multiple teammates said Thursday they’ve enjoyed having Purdy back in the mix while also giving a nod to what Jones accomplished.
One more Niner who could be back in the mix Sunday is wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. Like Purdy, Pearsall has been out since Week 4 after injuring the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against the Jaguars.
The initial expectation was Pearsall might miss a couple of weeks but that turned into a much longer absence, creating frustration for all parties.
“We all expected me to come back earlier, I feel like,” Pearsall said. “But I mean if you look at how PCLs recover, especially for skill guys like me playing receiver, having to [make] cuts off this leg, doing speed cuts, stuff like that. I mean, it’s not an easy process just to turn around in a week and come back. And initially, yes, I was telling myself come back as quick as possible and it just didn’t turn out that way.”
But Pearsall has been back at practice as a limited participant this week and appears on track to return against the Cardinals. Asked whether he expects to play Sunday, Pearsall demurred, noting that’s a question for Shanahan but he did indicate he’s feeling back up to full speed.
“If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t feel ready at any of those weeks,” Pearsall said. “I was having pain and I was trying to get to the point where I could push through it and I feel like I can now.”
“I’ve played with Brock for several years now and won a lot of football games, caught a lot of passes from him, so I think that will get going pretty fast,” tight end George Kittle said. “I feel like me and Mac just started rolling, so I’m just happy that we have two very talented quarterbacks who can both sing the ball. [I’m] just looking forward to playing with Brock again though, because I thoroughly enjoy just his energy and his leadership out there, so just looking forward to playing with him again.”
George Kittle’s deep relationship with veterans (5:40)49ers star George Kittle has deep connections with veterans. Learn the story of his relationship with retired Army veteran Chris Kleinsorge. (5:40)
49ers star George Kittle has deep connections with veterans. Learn the story of his relationship with retired Army veteran Chris Kleinsorge. (5:40)
CloseNick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In over a decade with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 and 2023 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga.Follow on X
Speaking to media for the first time since before the Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Rams, Purdy elaborated on how the injury has affected him, the potential need for surgery, how he’s dealt with the frustration of missing so much time and whether he had any concerns that backup Mac Jones was playing so well in his stead.