San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

49ers' injury report casts shadow over 'TNF' matchup vs. Rams

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Those who wanted the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers to battle in a high-scoring NFC West matchup in Week 5 may be in for disappointment.

On Monday, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said quarterback Brock Purdy (toe) and wide receivers Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ribs, ankle) were battling injuries. He also suggested they may not be ready for Thursday's game in L.A. at 8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video).

On Wednesday, that was confirmed. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Purdy, Pearsall and Jennings were ruled out. That could put the 49ers (3-1) at a disadvantage heading into their game against the Rams (3-1).

How injuries impact 49ers offense

San Francisco QB Mac Jones is slated to start on Thursday night. This season, he has already started two games in place of Purdy and looked serviceable.

Brock Purdy (toe), Ricky Pearsall (knee), Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs) are out Thursday night vs. the Rams.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 1, 2025

The 2021 first-round pick led the 49ers to victories over the New Orleans Saints (0-4) and Arizona Cardinals (2-2), completing 66.3% of his passes for 563 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

However, don't count on Jones shredding the Rams defense — tied for ninth in the league in passing yards allowed (186 YPG) — without two of the team's top weapons.

Through four games, Pearsall ranks fourth in the NFL in receiving yards (327). Jennings, meanwhile, ranks third on the team in receiving yards (129 in three games).

Star tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and WR Brandon Aiyuk (knee) are still recovering from injuries, further limiting San Francisco's passing attack. This will leave Jones throwing to TE Jake Tonges and WR Kendrick Bourne. Tonges has 125 receiving yards through four games, while Bourne has 87 in three.

On the flip side, the Rams are healthy, and their offense is sailing. QB Matthew Stafford is second in the NFL in passing yards (1,114), and WR Puka Nacua leads the league in receptions (42) and receiving yards (503).

As of Wednesday, ESPN Bet lists the Rams as a 7.5-point favorite in their home game. The 49ers should lean on RB Christian McCaffrey even more on Thursday. They must control the clock to pull off the upset in L.A.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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