SANTA CLARA – Six weeks after aggravating his toe injury, Brock Purdy is still not reclaiming his starting role for Sunday’s visit by the Los Angeles Rams.
Mac Jones again will start and look to improve on his 5-2 record in place of Purdy, who may or may not suit up as a potential backup, coach Kyle Shanahan announced after Friday’s practice.
The injury-ravaged 49ers (6-3) will face the NFL’s second-stingiest scoring defense (15.9 points per game) brought in by the Rams (6-2).
Purdy is listed as questionable, as are defensive linemen Alfred Collins, Kalia Davis and Keion White; linebackers Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune; and left guard Ben Bartch, who will be activated off Injured Reserve on Saturday.
Collins (hip), Davis (ankle) and White (groin) all sustained injuries in Thursday’s practice. Collins was unable to practice Friday but did limp out to watch defensive-line warmups; he forced a fumble at the 1-yard line in the 49ers’ Nov. 2 overtime win against the Rams.
Wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) will miss a sixth straight game.
Center Jake Brendel and defensive end Bryce Huff are expected to reprise starting roles after each missed two starts with a hamstring strain.
COACH-QB CHATTER
Jones is finding a groove with Shanahan’s play calls that buzz into the quarterback’s helmet. That communication line stays open until 15 seconds remain on the play clock, leaving scant time to review the previous play. “It’s very like business casual,” Jones said of their in-game communication, “but it’s very like, ‘Alright, that was good. Next play.’ Or ‘That was really bad. Next play.’ “
Unless it’s a play like Jones slamming into Christian McCaffrey to push him forward for extra yards, which typically results in Shanahan yelling over the headsets, Jones said with a cackle.
“Kyle does a great job just keeping me on track, and really as a quarterback, you just have to play each play as a life of its own and go at one play at a time,” Jones added. “I try to just hear the call, paint the picture of the call in my helmet, then make sure everybody’s lined up and let it rip.”
Jones tore into the Rams for season highs of 33 completions and 49 attempts in an Oct. 2 overtime win at SoFi Stadium. He passed for 342 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers in that outing.
In last Sunday’s 34-24 win at the New York Giants, Jones’ 135.2 passer rating was the second-best of his five-year career (19-of-24, 235 yards, two touchdown passes). He’s already surpassed his win totals from the past two seasons combined. In 2023, he finished his three-year tenure in New England by going 2-9 that season. Last season, he went 2-5 as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ injury replacement to Trevor Lawrence.
Purdy hasn’t missed this many consecutive games since starting his 2022 rookie season on the bench for 12 games. His next chance to suit up: Nov. 16 in his native Arizona against the Cardinals, a visit he bypassed in last season’s finale because of an elbow injury.
KICKER SWITCH
The Rams are benching second-year kicker Joshua Karty, a Stanford product, for the NFL debut of Harrison Mevis, a 245-pounder who went undrafted out of Missouri last year. Since the 49ers made their own kicker switch in Week 2, Eddy Piñeiro has made all 19 of his field-goal attempts, including six from at least 50 yards to close within one of David Akers’ 2011 franchise record.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
In commemoration of the 49ers’ Salute To Service game, the national anthem will be sung by Kathryn Dobyns (U.S. Navy Band’s Sea Chanters Chorus), and the halftime show will be performed by Wounded Warrior rock band The Resilient. The Frontline Hero of the Game is Sgt. Sam Avolicino, a World War II veteran who turns 105 on Nov. 14.
Levi’s Stadium parking lots are set to open at 9:55 a.m., and gates open 30 minutes later for those with club and suite tickets. Two hours before the 1:25 p.m. kickoff, all ticket-holders are allowed entry.