49ers Announce Brock Purdy News Amid Season-Ending Development

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 5, 2026 3:43 PM ET

Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers will face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC wild-card round on Sunday. The Niners secured the No. 6 seed in the conference and are set to face the No. 3 seed Eagles in a road matchup for a spot in the divisional round.

Purdy had a forgettable outing in San Francisco’s season finale, finishing 19-of-27 passing for 127 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception, to go along with 21 rushing yards on two carries in a 13-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Unfortunately for the Niners, they will be shorthanded heading into Sunday’s do-or-die game. On Monday, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke to reporters to provide a handful of injury updates, including an unfortunate season-ending development.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Linebacker Tatum Bethune was forced to exit Saturday’s loss to the Seahawks. The 24-year-old left the game in the fourth quarter due to a groin injury and was not able to return.

Shanahan announced on Monday that Bethune suffered a significant groin injury and has now been ruled out for the remainder of the season, per Niners reporter Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

It is important to note that linebackers Dee Winters (ankle) and Luke Gifford (quad) are also dealing with injuries. Eric Winters is expected to step in to replace Bethune against the Eagles, but the Niners could be significantly shorthanded at LB.

Shanahan also noted that while there is still a chance linebacker Fred Warner returns for the playoffs, his status against Philadelphia remains undetermined.

Shanahan had a positive update on Purdy, who took a hard hit in the Niners’ final offensive play against the Seahawks on Saturday. Shanahan revealed that the Pro Bowl quarterback sustained a stinger in the loss, but he also expects Purdy to be a full participant in practice throughout the week, heading into Sunday's matchup against Philadelphia.

Barring any unforeseen setbacks, Purdy is expected to start under center when the Niners face the defending champs in the wild-card round on Sunday.

The Eagles will host Sunday’s matchup, with kickoff from Lincoln Financial Field scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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