49ers QB Brock Purdy (toe, shoulder) is a "long shot" to play vs. the Saints this weekend, HC Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday. Shanahan added that Purdy could be looking at a multi-week absence. SI's Grant Cohn hears that the team is expecting Purdy to miss two games. His absence will leave QB Mac Jones under center.
2025 Fantasy Football Impact
Jones is one of the better backups in the game, but he's still a significant downgrade from Purdy. Jones completed 65.3% of his passes at 6.4 yards per attempt in 10 appearances (7 starts) for the Jaguars last year. He ranked 32nd among 39 qualifying QBs in Pro Football Focus' 2024 passing grades. Jones averaged 6.8 yards per attempt for the Patriots over his first three NFL seasons.
We've seen lesser QBs survive in Shanahan's offense, but Jones' job will be made tougher by the absence of TE George Kittle and potentially WR Jauan Jennings.
Jones will only be in play in 2-QB and superflex leagues, but he should be able to keep WR Ricky Pearsall's fantasy value afloat.
RB Christian McCaffrey will continue to be fed as many touches as he can handle (and maybe more).