SANTA CLARA, Calif. — With starter Brock Purdy slowly working his way back from the right big toe injury that has kept him out since Week 4, the San Francisco 49ers will again turn to backup Mac Jones on Sunday against the Houston Texans.
It will be Jones’ sixth start of the season and fourth in a row after Purdy aggravated the toe injury he initially suffered in Week 1.
This week, Purdy practiced on a limited basis each day, as he did last week, but he was ruled out on Friday’s injury report.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Purdy has been progressing, albeit slowly, and the uncertain nature of the toe injury has made nailing down a return date more difficult.
“It is different dealing with a toe,” Shanahan said. “But I’d say it’s steadily getting better each week.”
Unlike previous weeks, Purdy will travel to Houston for the game, with Shanahan noting he is “two weeks better” than he was for the Niners’ last road trip to Tampa, Florida, to face the Buccaneers.
As has been the case all season, Purdy isn’t the only notable Niner who will be out against the Texans.
Receiver Ricky Pearsall (right knee), defensive ends Bryce Huff (hamstring) and Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring) and center Jake Brendel (hamstring) also were ruled out Friday. Like Purdy, Pearsall will miss his fourth straight game, as his recovery has come along slower than the Niners hoped.
“I don’t think it’s a setback,” Shanahan said. “[It’s] just not going as fast as we wanted. But nothing new has happened.”
The Niners could be getting some positive injury news at receiver soon, though. Shanahan said Friday that Brandon Aiyuk could begin practicing next week as he remains on the physically unable to perform list due to the knee injury he suffered last season.
“I believe he’s getting a lot closer,” Shanahan said. “It could [be next week]. I think we are week-to-week now, so hopefully it will be sooner than later.”
Shanahan said Monday that Brendel and Huff would miss a couple of weeks after injuring their hamstrings in last weekend’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Gross-Matos was injured in a Week 5 win against the Los Angeles Rams and remains out.
Elsewhere on the injury report, the 49ers got more encouraging news when it comes to their banged-up cornerback room. Starters Renardo Green (toe), Upton Stout (ankle) and Deommodore Lenoir (quad) all either were limited or missed at least one practice this week. But Green and Stout were full participants by the end of the week and do not have an injury designation while Lenoir is listed as questionable after he did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and was limited Friday.
Shanahan said Lenoir is “going the right direction” and “I feel pretty good about him” playing Sunday. Linebacker Luke Gifford (hamstring) and offensive lineman Spencer Burford (knee) are also questionable. San Francisco opened Burford’s 21-day practice window Wednesday as he has been designated to return from injured reserve.
