'Highly unlikely' Brock Purdy starts for 49ers vs. Cardinals, says Shanahan

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that quarterback Brock Purdy is officially listed as "questionable" for Sunday's NFC West showdown against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Still, Shanahan made it clear that fans probably shouldn't expect Purdy to start in Week 3.

Purdy injured his toe during the 49ers' Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks, forcing him to miss last weekend's matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Although the quarterback has been a limited participant in practice this week, signs point to Mac Jones making his second consecutive start under center for San Francisco.

Shanahan praised Purdy's recovery progress but tempered expectations.

"I thought he had a good week," Shanahan said. "Hopefully, we can get him up for the game. ... I think it's highly unlikely that he'll start, but just trying to see where he's at to see if he could be a two or an emergency three."

The 49ers' priority is ensuring Purdy's injury doesn't worsen, meaning a final decision likely won't come until the weekend.

"Probably won't know for sure until Sunday on that, but that's why I think it's highly unlikely he'd be out there as a starter," Shanahan explained.

Protecting Purdy for the long term remains the organization's focus. Shanahan emphasized that the 25-year-old quarterback is pushing hard to return but is also realistic about his condition.

"Brock pushes himself to go as hard as anyone I've been around, but he's very level-headed in terms of being realistic," Shanahan noted. "And he doesn't just talk with his heart. He works with his heart, but he talks with his mind, and lets us really know what the chances are of it. And if you can't do it, he'll let you know."

Shanahan added, "He'll be honest all the way up to kickoff."