Brock Purdy has missed the last five games for the San Francisco 49ers, battling a stubborn turf toe issue that traces back to the team’s Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Niners quarterback was stepped on late and finished the game in visible discomfort. He hasn’t been the same since. The team initially framed it as a minor issue, but Purdy aggravated it Week 4 and the medical staff later described it as a variant of turf toe involving ligament damage, which is why his recovery has been a process.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan has already said the toe probably won’t fully heal this season, which is a tricky thing for the 49ers to deal with. Turf toe sounds small, but not being able to push off that front foot affects velocity and accuracy, and it raises the risk of making it worse if he’s hit.
Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke to a prominent surgeon who is also an NFL consultant about the situation with Purdy’s toe, and the doctor had some eye-opening things to say.
Surgeon Kenneth Jung on Purdy: He Can Play, But He Needs to Heal
Ezra Shaw/GettyA prominent surgeon says Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers can still play, but the team needs to be careful with his turf toe. Will the QB play again in 2025?
“Dr. Kenneth Jung, a foot and ankle surgeon who is a consultant to the Rams, understands the needle the 49ers are attempting to thread when it comes to possibly putting Purdy back on the field,” Branch wrote on November 5. “Jung said the 49ers are likely trying to gauge when Purdy can play without his toe being primarily supported and stabilized by a device such as a steel or carbon-fiber plate, which Purdy used when he returned against Jacksonville.”
“You can do things to stabilize turf toe,” Jung told Branch. “But you still have to allow some of the healing of the tissue to occur so you’re not relying so much on these external devices or modifications for support. You’re trying to allow some of that healing to take place so some of his natural tissue is absorbing some of the burden while these devices are providing support, as well. That combination is going to allow him to get back out there.”
San Francisco has been lucky that Mac Jones has come in and played well, guiding the 49ers to five wins and quieting any urgency to rush Purdy back. Jones has protected the ball and has given the team the chance to take things slow with Purdy.
Will Brock Purdy Play Again in 2025?
Could the 49ers shut Purdy down for the rest of 2025? That’s not the plan, but it’s a distinct possibility due to the potential severity of the QB’s injury.
“Turf toe has ended or shortened the careers of Hall of Fame players Jack Lambert, Deion Sanders and Jonathan Ogden,” Branch wrote, adding: “Assuming Purdy isn’t dealing with a career-threatening case, Jung doesn’t think it’s folly for the 49ers to try to play Purdy. But he noted the obvious: Such a plan is hardly foolproof.”
“Playing football isn’t the most conducive thing to allow something to heal,” Jung told Branch. “He’s not playing quarterback in a bubble. You’re on the field with 11 other guys that are trying to chase you down. And in that situation, change of direction — anything you try to do explosively — could potentially aggravate it. In rehabbing it, I’m sure they’re doing things that aren’t going to have him aggravate it that much. Game situations are just so much different.”
Shanahan is still saying Purdy is week-to-week, and that could very well be the case. But if Jones keeps winning, it’s fair to wonder if the Niners will keep Purdy out until he’s 100% instead of trying to force anything — particularly if his toe is still an issue.
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