3 More Key Offensive Starters Officially Out For San Francisco 49ers Against Los Angeles Rams

On Wednesday October 1, 2025, the San Francisco 49ers announced quarterback Brock Purdy (toe), wide receiver Jauan Jennings (ankle/ribs) and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) will all miss the Niners’ Thursday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Rams. 

Rookie wide receiver Jordan Watkins will also be held out for his fifth straight game and tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are still recovering from long term injuries. 

The 49ers have been navigating injuries all season and have still managed a 3-1 record, but trying to beat the division rival Rams, who are also 3-1, on the road at SoFi stadium is going to be a tough task. 

Who Will The 49ers Even Have? 

Fortunately for the 49ers, backup quarterback Mac Jones seems to be fully healthy after sustaining a knee injury in Week 3 during the Arizona Cardinals.

Jones played well in Weeks 2 and 3, filling in for Purdy who was held out by the same toe injury that will keep him out against the Rams. In those two games, Jones completed 53 of 80 passes for 563 yards with 4 passing touchdowns and 1 interception. 

Their top wide receiver will likely be Kendrick Bourne. Bourne just had a really rough game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but his established chemistry with Jones in their years together with the New England Patriots should help Bourne rebound easily. 

Demarcus Robinson also needs to step up in his second game back from his three-game suspension to open the season. Robinson had only 1 catch for 20 yards in his first game back against the Jaguars. But Robinson is a former Ram, so perhaps playing against his former team will motivate him. 

Tight end Jake Tonges has been one of the best pass catchers for the 49ers this season at tight end, so expect him to get several targets. TE Luke Farrell and FB Kyle Juszczyk will also be threats to catch the ball. 

And of course, expect running back Christian McCaffrey to get the football approximately a million times, in both the run and pass game. 

49ers’ Surprising Commitment To The Pass 

In the past, with quarterbacks such as Jimmy Garoppolo running the offense, the 49ers were a run-first offensive operation. 

But this season, the opposite has been true. 

The 49ers have the No. 2 ranked passing offense in the entire NFL, behind only the Dallas Cowboys. They are averaging 280 passing yards per game. 

In contrast, they are bottom 5 in the NFL in rushing offense (28th). They are averaging only 88.0 rushing yards per game and are the only NFL team that does not yet have a rushing touchdown. 

The 49ers’ passing game stars including Purdy, Jennings, Kittle, Watkins, and Aiyuk have all already missed time this season, and the 49ers have still produced at a solid clip. 

The issue is going to be missing Pearsall. Despite dealing with a couple nagging injuries, he has played in all four games for the 49ers so far this season and is their leading receiver with 327 receiving yards. 

That, coupled with the absence of Jennings, leaves the 49ers without a go-to guy that the 49ers can be confident will step up. 

But if the early part of the season is any indication, Jones and the 49ers will find a way to rack up 300 passing yards anyway. 

49ers fans, do you think the 49ers can overcome these injuries and beat the Rams?

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