Brock Purdy injury update: 49ers QB has MRI on back, set to practice Wednesday
The San Francisco 49ers are adding another player to their laundry list of injured offensive talent to start the 2024 NFL season.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday that quarterback Brock Purdy was dealing with back soreness after the team's Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Shanahan further detailed that Purdy had an MRI to see the extent of the injury. It came back clean, which may give the quarterback a chance to play in Week 4 against the New England Patriots.
Here's what to know about Purdy's status as the 49ers continue to navigate injury woes to open the 2024 NFL season.
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Brock Purdy injury update
Purdy is dealing with a back injury ahead of the 49ers vs. Patriots game in Week 4. The 49ers announced that Purdy is "day-to-day" because of the malady and he had an MRI on the issue that came back clean.
The 49ers got more good news about their quarterback's status Wednesday. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, he is expected to be a full participant in practice. That should put Purdy on track to play in Week 4 against the Patriots, barring any sort of mid-week setback.
Purdy's status is still worth monitoring on Thursday and Friday just in case. That said, if he is listed as a full participant or is unlisted on the injury report on those two days, fans can expect him to be tasked with carrying San Francisco's offense against New England.
Who is Brock Purdy's backup on 49ers depth chart?
Brandon Allen has dressed each of the first three weeks of the 2024 NFL season as Purdy's backup. The 32-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2016 NFL Draft and is playing for his fifth team across nine seasons.
Allen didn't make his first NFL start until 2019, when he was with the Denver Broncos. He has a 2-7 career record in nine starts and has completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 1,611 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions. He hasn't won a start since 2020, a fact that won't inspire too much confidence among 49ers fans if he's called upon to start.
The 49ers' third-string quarterback is likely better known than Allen. That would be Joshua Dobbs, who played for the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings during the 2023 season. He started 12 games between the two teams, posting a 3-9 record while completing 62.8 percent of his passes for 2,464 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Dobbs has been the 49ers' emergency third quarterback for the first three games of the season, but he would draw into a backup role if Purdy has to miss time.
Undrafted rookie Tanner Mordecai is the only other quarterback in San Francisco's organization. The Wisconsin product is presently on the team's practice squad.