BREAKING: 49ers’ Mac Jones to start again as Brock Purdy, Ricky Pearsall ruled out vs. Falcons
The San Francisco 49ers will again turn to backup quarterback Mac Jones with starter Brock Purdy out for Sunday's matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Friday.
Purdy continues to recover from a lingering toe injury that he aggravated in Week 4. Jones, who has gone 2-2 as a starter this season, will make his fifth consecutive start after returning to full practice participation late in the week.
Meanwhile, Ricky Pearsall will miss his third straight game with a sprained knee.
The 49ers received better news elsewhere on offense, with tight end George Kittle cleared to return from a hamstring injury that had kept him sidelined since Week 1. Shanahan said Kittle will have "no pitch count" in his return.
"George has rehabbed really well, came back 100 percent, had a good week of practice," Shanahan said.
Despite a rash of injuries to key players, including season-enders for defensive stars Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, San Francisco enters Week 7 with a 4-2 record and tied for first in the NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
Shanahan said the team hopes to have Purdy back "soon" after he practiced each day this week.
"He was able to get out there, throw more," Shanahan said of Purdy on Friday. "Thought it was definitely a step further ahead than it was last week, so going in the right direction."
--Field Level Media
Raiders might just have the next Daniel Jones sitting on their bench
Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and now, Daniel Jones. The NFL quarterback reclamation project is shifting from a mere fad to a trend that teams will no doubt look to replicate in the coming years.
Former draft "busts" are thriving in better environments, making their new general managers look like geniuses in the process. Finding low-cost passers capable of leading a functional offense is one of the most direct paths to contention, so these gambles aren't going away any time soon.
This season, Jones has taken the league by storm in a way that nobody expected. His Indianapolis Colts are blowing preseason projections out of the water, riding an efficient offense to the top of the league standings.
While the former New York Giants' flameout still has some of the limitations that hindered him at his previous stop, the coaching staff in Indiana has been able to support him in a way that allows him to thrive.
Believe it or not, the Las Vegas Raiders already have one of the top candidates for the next comeback quarterback on their roster. As crazy as it may sound, Kenny Pickett has a real chance to become the next Daniel Jones.
Raiders' QB Kenny Pickett could become the next Daniel Jones
At first glance, this notion seems impossible. Pickett has bounced around multiple NFL rosters over the last year, seemingly unable to prove himself capable of contributing in the league. His time with the Pittsburgh Steelers was inconsistent at best, and they've generally looked better since moving on from him.
But consider that, just last season, Jones was playing safety on the Giants' practice squad. Mayfield and Darnold found themselves in similar situations, so a player's situation can change rapidly in the NFL.
Now, Pickett does have some important limitations that the revitalized quarterbacks of recent years don't all share. His undersized hands and mediocre arm talent lead to accuracy issues and offensive constraints that can't necessarily be fixed.
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His processing ability, though, is good enough to succeed in the right system. He's far from being the most talented quarterback in the league, but he may be able to reach Daniel Jones' levels of production if he has enough support around him.
If he gets another chance to prove himself, it may not come with the Raiders. While Geno Smith has been disappointing this season, it seems more likely that the team would opt to draft his successor than promote Pickett into a starting role.
However, if Pickett does end up saving his career with a new team, Raiders fans will be stuck wondering what could have been, just like so many NFL teams in recent years.
