The San Francisco 49ers are spending their fifth week this season without starting quarterback Brock Purdy as he continues to nurse a toe injury that he re-aggravated against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In addition, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall will miss his third consecutive game for the 49ers with a knee injury. Head coach Kyle Shanahan had hoped Pearsall would practice in each of the last two weeks, but the wideout has yet to log a practice.
Both injuries have raised concern about the severity of the issues, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported on Saturday that Purdy and Pearsall are both expected back in Week 8.
Those two have been a part of a long list of injuries for the 49ers this season, as they’ve been without starters George Kittle, Ben Bartch, Pearsall, Purdy, Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Renardo Green, Yetur Gross-Matos, and Jauan Jennings at times this season.
The good news is that Kittle is back for Week 7, which will be a boost for Mac Jones, who will make his fifth start of the year for San Francisco after being cleared from knee and oblique injuries in practice this week.
San Francisco is currently in a good spot, leading the NFC West with a 4-2 record. They have the tiebreaker over both the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks after beating both teams earlier this year. But, in order to keep that lead, they’ll need a big win this weekend over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.
The 49ers will be without both Pearsall and wide receiver Marques Valdez-Scantling this week, so it will be Jauan Jennings, Demarcus Robinson, Kendrick Bourne, Skyy Moore, and Jordan Watkins likely at wide receiver for Mac Jones.
