Brock Purdy injury update: NFL insider reveals likelihood 49ers QB starts in Week 3

Brock Purdy was active at 49ers practice this week. But does that mean the San Francisco QB will make start on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals?

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, it’s not likely. Purdy is still dealing with lingering “mobility” issues, as well as an apparent shoulder soreness and may need to be evaluated for another week before returning to full-time action.

“It’s looking pretty good for Week 4,” Fowler said. “He went through a full week of practice. There’s at least some optimism there, but for Week 3, Kyle Shanahan had said that Purdy could maybe be the second-string quarterback or even the emergency quarterback, but his chances of starting are highly unlikely.”

“So, it should be Mac Jones for another week, which went pretty well last week against the Saints. He got the win. … Overall, he looks comfortable operating Kyle Shanahan’s offense.”

On Wednesday, Shanahan said that Purdy “has a chance” to play on Sunday. Still, it appears they aren’t taking any chances on their franchise QB this early in the season.

Purdy missed Week 2 due to a toe injury, but has now improved to the point where he has returned to practice as a limited participant. As of now, it appears quarterback Mac Jones is set to make his second consecutive start for the 49ers in their Week 3 game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Last week, Jones was excellent in relief of Purdy on Sunday. He finished the afternoon having thrown for 279 yards and tied his career-high with three touchdowns. Jones ultimately led San Fransisco the victory 26-21.

“[I’ve] been fortunate to kind of play a lot of different roles,” Jones said before Week 2. “At the end of the day, your job as a quarterback is to either hand it off or throw it. “… Obviously, have that intensity and focus, but really go out there, whether you’re backup or starter, and whether you play the first play or not, you’ve got to be ready to play and have your system that works for you. I’m very confident in that, and I put a lot of work into that this offseason.”

Kickoff between the 49ers and Cardinals is set for Sunday afternoon at 4:25 p.m. ET and will air live on FOX. Despite the uncertainty surrounding San Fransisco under center, the 49ers are 2.5-point betting favorites over Arizona at home, according to BetMGM.