Brock Purdy is back in the San Francisco 49ers lineup, and he's missed eight games with a toe injury. Mac Jones played well at quarterback in his absence, and there are a lot of people who think Jones should keep playing.
Brock Purdy went from seventh-round draft pick to Super Bowl quarterback in two short years with the San Francisco 49ers, and the team was so sure of his future that they signed him to a five-year, $265 million contract in May. He was not only the quarterback of the present, but he was the QB of the future, too.
Purdy has played in just two games this season, sidelined with a troubling toe injury. Mac Jones has played in his absence, and he's been really good, leading the 49ers to a 6-4 record. But this is Purdy's team, and he's back. Jones goes to the bench.
“I feel really good, healthy, excited to be back and ready to lead the guys,” Purdy said. He's start when San Francisco takes on Arizona on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET in Glendale, Ariz.
Here's the story on Purdy's return, and what it means for the 6-4 Niners, who are 1.5 games behind the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West race.
Purdy injured the toe in the season opener against Seattle and then missed two games. He returned in Week 4 against Jacksonville, but aggravated it again. Jones has played ever since, throwing for 2,151 yards and 13 touchdowns in eight games.
He's been playing so well that there's been plenty of talk of Jones remaining the starter. But 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said there's no question Purdy is the starter as long as he's healthy.
“No. It's not a hard decision,” Shanahan said earlier this week. “It's just more about Brock's health. It's been awesome how Mac has played. He has been great. But we've got a lot of confidence in Brock and we know Brock will play at a high level too as long as he's healthy.”
Purdy has been able to drop back and throw for several weeks now, but he also wanted to make sure he could run without pain. That took a little longer.
“Dropping back and throwing, that’s been pretty good for a while, but to play quarterback in the NFL and to play like myself, I need to move a little bit,” he said. “I wasn’t able to get there for a while. Now I feel ready to go.”
Sunday's game will be televised on FOX. The 49ers are a 3.5-point favorite, according to Fanduel.com. The over/under is 48.5.
Here is the Week 11 schedule in the NFL
NFL Week 11 Schedule
SUNDAY'S GAMES
Washington Commanders (3-7) vs. Miami Dolphins (3-7), 9:30 a.m. ET at Madrid, Spain. TV: NFL Network. Point spread: Miami is a 2.5-point favorite; the over-under is 47.5 points.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) at Buffalo Bills (6-3), 1 p.m. ET at Orchard Park, N.Y. TV: CBS. Point spread: Buffalo is a 6.5-point favorite; the over/under is 46.5 points.
Chicago Bears (6-3) at Minnesota Vikings (4-5), 1 p.m. ET at Minneapolis, Minn. TV: FOX. Point spread: Minnesota is a 2.5-point favorite; the over-under is 47.5 points.
Carolina Panthers (5-5) at Atlanta Falcons (3-6), 1 p.m. ET at Atlanta, Ga. TV: FOX. Point spread: Atlanta is a 3.5-point favorite; the over/under is 41.5 points.
Houston Texans (3-6) at Tennessee Titans (1-8), 1 p.m. ET at Nashville, Tenn. TV: FOX. Point spread: Houston is a 5.5-point favorite; the over/under is 37.5 points.
Green Bay Packers (5-3-1) at New York Giants (2-8), 1 p.m. ET at East Rutherford, N.J.. TV: FOX. Point spread: Green Bay is a 7.5-point favorite; the over/under is 41.5 points.
Cincinnati Bengals (3-6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4), 1 p.m. ET at Pittsburgh, La. TV: CBS. Point spread: Pittsburgh is a 5.5-point favorite; the over/under is 48.5 points.
Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4), 1 p.m. ET at Jacksonville, Fla. TV: CBS. Point spread: The Los Angeles Chargers are a 3-point favorite; the over/under is 43.5 points.
Seattle Seahawks (7-2) at Los Angeles Rams (7-2). 4:05 p.m. ET at Inglewood, Calif. TV: FOX. Point spread: The Los Angeles Rams are a 3-point favorite; the over/under is 48.5 points.
San Francisco 49ers (6-3) at Arizona Cardinals (3-6), 4:05 p.m. ET at Glendale, Ariz. TV: FOX. Point spread: San Francisco is a 3.5-point favorite and the over/under is 48.5.
Baltimore Ravens (4-5) at Cleveland Browns (2-7), 4:25 p.m. ET at Cleveland, Ohio. TV: CBS. Point spread: Baltimore is a 7.5-point favorite; the over/under 37.5 points.
Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) at Denver Broncos (8-2), 4:25 p.m. ET at Denver, Colo. TV: CBS. Point spread: Kansas City is a 4.5-point favorite; the over/under is 44.5 points
Detroit Lions (6-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (7-2), 8:20 p.m. ET at Philadelphia, Pa. TV: NBC. Point spread: Philadelphia is a 2.5-point favorite. The over/under is 46.5.
MONDAY'S GAME
Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1) at Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 p.m. ET at Los Vegas, Nev. TV: ABC/ESPN. Point spread: Dallas is a 3.5-point favorite; the over/under is 50.5 points.
THURSDAY'S RESULT
New England Patriots (9-2) defeated the New York Jets (2-8) 27-13 at Foxborough, Mass.