49ers Get Big Update on QBs Brock Purdy & Mac Jones Before Falcons Game
The San Francisco 49ers have been battered by injuries to begin the 2025 campaign, and it became too much to overcome in Week 6, as they suffered a 30-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Making matters even worse, the team lost superstar linebacker Fred Warner for the rest of the season after he suffered a serious ankle injury.
To this point, the Niners have done a great job of weathering the storm of injuries they have faced, but it’s fair to wonder how much more of this they can endure. Thankfully, the team got some good injury news on quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Mac Jones as they prepare for a date with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football in Week 7.
Who is Trending Towards Starting for 49ers at Quarterback in Week 7?
Both Purdy and Jones have been caught up in the whirlwind of injury issues the 49ers have had to deal with so far this season. Purdy suffered toe and shoulder injuries in San Francisco’s Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks, and while he returned to play in the team’s Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he reaggravated his toe injury, causing him to miss the past two games.
While Jones has done a fantastic job of filling in for Purdy, he’s also taken his fair share of big hits. Jones has been dealing with knee and oblique injuries as of late, but he’s been able to take the field in each of the four games Purdy has not been able to play in, leading the Niners to a 3-1 record during that time.
At Wednesday’s practice, Purdy and Jones both were limited, although head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated that Purdy was more limited than Jones. With that in mind, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that it seems more likely that Jones will draw the start in Week 7, as the Niners don’t want to rush Purdy back into action before he’s fully healthy.
“Seems to me to put Mac Jones in as the starting quarterback once again,” Rapoport said on “Good Morning Football.” “They do not want Brock Purdy to suffer another relapse, another injury, another reaggravation, so it certainly seems like Mac Jones once again.”
49ers Aiming to Get Back in the Win Column in Week 7
GettySan Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones.
Considering how well Jones has played while filling in for Purdy, the 49ers have no real reason to rush him back into the action. Obviously, the offense is at its best when Purdy is under center, but Jones has managed to help keep this team alive, even though he’s had to play without several key playmakers every time he’s taken the field.
Regardless of who ends up under center, San Fran is going to have its work cut out for it in Week 7 when it takes on Atlanta. In Week 6, the Falcons held Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to just 14 points, and with the 49ers still set to be without several key players, that could make taking this team down all the more difficult. With this game being on Sunday Night Football, kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.
Ben Johnson's influence has Bears ranking 2nd in big-time offensive category
With the arrival of new coach Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears fans got on the edge of their seats. They expected not only to win, but to see trick plays and - also following his blueprint in Detroit - maybe even production from tight ends.
After an ugly 0-2 start the Bears have rebounded with three consecutive wins. But the razzle dazzle gadgets and the tight ends - other than a key third-down catch by rookie Colston Loveland last Monday night at Washington - will have to wait.
But there's something esle Johnson has not-so-subtlely injected into the Bears' offense: chunk plays.
And, hand-in-hand, points.
Quarterback Caleb Williams and his unit have scored 20+ points in each of the first five games, something last achieved by a Bears' offense 30 years ago. The offense is doing it with a plethora of big plays.
Last year through five games the Bears managed only 21 big plays (runs of 10+ and receptions of 20+ yards). This season? 39.
The Bears already have four players - Williams, D'Andre Swift, Olimade Zaccheaus and Kyle Monangai - with runs of 10+ yards. Seven receivers have catches of 20+ yards, including Swift's 55-yard touchdown that ignited the comeback win in Washington. In the Week 3 blowout of the Cowboys, they had four pass plays of 30+ yards.
Chicago has 18 "big" running plays and 18 "big" passing plays. Johnson's offense is averaging 7.2 of them per game, ranking second in the NFL behind only the Los Angeles Rams. The Lions, for what it's worth, are averaging only 5.5 per game.
The Bears hope the offense can produce big plays Sunday at Soldier Field when they look for their fourth consecutive win over the 1-5 New Orleans Saints.
