Purdy, Pearsall, Jennings benched before 49ers Thursday night game
San Francisco 49ers' Ricky Pearsall and Brock Purdy before playing Detroit Lions during NFL game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, December 30, 2024. (Photo by Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco 49ers announced early Wednesday afternoon that three key players will be sitting out the team's Thursday night game.
Quarterback Brock Purdy and starting wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall will not be joining their teammates in playing against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday.
A release from the team states Purdy's toe injury is keeping him from playing, while Jennings is suffering from an ankle and rib injury, and Pearsall from a knee injury.
All three athletes are listed as having sat out the team's last several practices.
Purdy's toe has been an ongoing question for the team — Thursday's game marks the third of the team's five games this season that he has been forced to sit out. After hitting the field for the season opener, he sat out the following two games before returning to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In that game he completed 22 of 38 passes for 309 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss to the Jaguars.
He will be replaced by Mac Jones.
The team also listed several other nonparticipants:
- Defensive end Robert Beal (ankle)
- Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (knee)
- Wide receiver Jordan Watkins (calf)
- Defensive Tackle C.J. West (thumb)