Injuries give 49ers' Brock Purdy chance to prove his worth

Mason appeared in all 12 San Francisco games this season and had 153 carries, 789 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and three touchdowns.

McCaffrey started four games after beginning the season on injured reserve, making his season debut in Week 10. He had 50 carries for 202 yards (four yards per carry).

San Francisco is already without wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. He signed a four-year, $120 million offseason extension but tore his ACL in Week 7, ending his 2024 season.

Three-time First-Team All-Pro offensive tackle Trent Williams (ankle) and 2022 First-Team All-Pro defensive end Nick Bosa (hip) missed their second consecutive game in Week 13's 35-10 loss to the Bills (10-2).

Purdy returned from a right shoulder injury that forced him to miss San Francisco's 38-10 road loss against the Packers (9-3) against Buffalo but was ineffective in the snowy conditions.

Purdy finished San Francisco's third consecutive loss 11-of-18 for 94 yards, his fewest yards in 33 career starts.

He must be much better over the Niners' final five games to not only keep their slim playoff hopes alive but make the front office feel comfortable giving him a lucrative extension.

Over the last year, Lions quarterback Jared Goff (four-year, $212 million), Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (five-year, $275 million), Packers quarterback Jordan Love (four-year, $220 million), and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (four-year, $240 million) all received mammoth deals.

Purdy led San Francisco to Super Bowl LVIII last season, piloting a loaded offense that included a healthy McCaffrey and Aiyuk, tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

The Niners offense has dipped from third in scoring (28.9 points per game) in 2024 to 15th this season (22.5 points per game).

Purdy has career lows in completion percentage (65.7 percent), touchdown rate (four percent) and passer rating (94.8).

If Purdy signs long-term, the rest of the 2024 season could be a test run for what the 49ers will look like in future years. 

With a likely sizable contract, Purdy will be asked to do more heavy lifting as keeping high-priced talent around him becomes more challenging.

As unfortunate as San Francisco's long list of injuries is, it comes with a silver lining. The 49ers will soon find out how much Purdy is worth.