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49ers Do Not Expect Brock Purdy To Fully Heal In 2025

November 10th, 2025 at 10:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Brock Purdy‘s early return to action in Week 4 resulted in an aggravation of his turf toe injury. He has yet to appear for the 49ers since, and being available at full strength may not be possible for the remainder of the season.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan recently noted (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner) the team does not expect Purdy to return to 100% at any point during the 2025 campaign. As a result, a decision will need to be made regarding how close to full strength he is to be worth re-inserting into the lineup. To date, a cautious approach has been taken in this case.

The 49ers have of course been able to play things safe with Purdy thanks to the consistent performances of backup quarterback Mac Jones. San Francisco lost on Sunday, but Jones delivered another strong outing; the former Patriots first-rounder has posted a triple-digit passer rating four times in his eight starts this season. The 49ers sit at 6-4 on the year despite a slew of injuries on both sides of the ball. If Jones continues his level of play, a postseason berth will remain possible down the stretch.

San Francisco’s schedule includes games against the Cardinals, Panthers and Browns before the team’s bye week. Each of those opponents sport a losing record, and it could allow the 49ers to carry on with Jones atop the depth chart. Shanahan did say after yesterday’s game, however, that Purdy could have dressed as the backup in Week 10. That means the door is open to a return as early as next week.

“It depends on how close to 100% he gets,” Shanahan said (via Wagoner). “Our dilemma or what we’re trying not to do is put him out in the situation we did versus Jacksonville six weeks ago… I do believe he’s closer and further along than what he was at that time.”

The team has been clear in stating Purdy will operate as the starter once he is back in the fold. Questions about Jones playing his way into the QB1 gig have grown in the wake of his surprisingly strong performances, but Purdy inked a five-year extension averaging $53MM per season this past offseason. The former ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ will be tasked with guiding the offense whenever he is back on the field.

Especially if the 49ers feel Purdy will not be fully healed in the event he returns in 2025, however, it remains to be seen when the team will truly feel comfortable playing him. As the team deals with a number of other high-profile injury matters, this one will continue to be worth watching closely.

49ers QB Brock Purdy Could Return In Week 11

November 9th, 2025 at 9:06pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The 49ers could get quarterback Brock Purdy back on the field next week.

After San Francisco’s loss to the Rams on Sunday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) that Purdy “could have gone today.” However, the 49ers deactivated Purdy before the game and did not designate him as the emergency third quarterback. Doing so would not have affected the team’s game day roster, but Purdy would have been able to play had starter Mac Jones and backup Adrian Martinez both gotten injured. That decision runs contrary to Shanahan’s postgame pronouncement that Purdy was ready to play.

It seems like the 49ers are trying to avoid a repeat of Purdy’s first return from injury in Week 4. He played every snap, but re-aggravated his toe injury in the process and hasn’t played since. A similar incident this week or next could sideline him until the last few games of the regular season. He would likely be dropping right into the heat of a playoff race with little time to re-acclimate to the field before the win-or-go-home games begin. Instead, the team will wait until he is at 100%, so when he comes back, he comes back for good.

The 49ers’ success in Purdy’s absence is another reason not to rush his recovery. The team has gone 5-2 in his seven absences, keeping them firmly in playoff contention. Mac Jones‘ stats that aren’t far off from Purdy’s last season and outpace his two starts this year. Shanahan has made it clear that Purdy will retake the starting job once he is healthy, but Jones’ capable stewardship of the offense is a primary reason that he can take his time.

Jets’ Breece Hall Didn’t Request Trade; Latest On Jermaine Johnson

November 8th, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Jets grabbed the most headlines in the NFL at the Nov. 4 trade deadline, moving on from star defenders Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams in blockbusters with the Colts and Cowboys. After the departures of Gardner and Williams on Tuesday, a report that running back Breece Hall wanted a trade emerged. Nothing came together, leaving Hall to finish the season with the Jets.

Addressing the rumors earlier this week, Hall said that he did not request a trade, per Brian Costello of the New York Post. At the same time, the 24-year-old neither confirmed nor denied whether he would have welcomed a change of scenery. With his first-ever trip to the open market on the horizon in the offseason, Hall will be able to choose where he plays in 2026. That is, if the Jets don’t slap the franchise tag on him.

While Hall may not have asked out of New York before the deadline, he did think the team would trade him, Armando Salguero of OutKick relays. The Jets reportedly turned down a fourth-round offer from the Chiefs. Gang Green wasn’t going to budge for less than a third-rounder.

Like Hall, Jets edge rusher Jermaine Johnson was popular in the rumor mill leading up to the deadline. Johnson also stayed put, but it wasn’t for lack of interest. The 49ers were among the teams in on Johnson, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, who reports that one club offered the Jets a third-rounder for him.

It’s unclear if that was San Francisco, but a swap with the 49ers would have reunited Johnson with Robert Saleh. Now the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Saleh was the Jets’ head coach when they used a first-rounder on Johnson in 2022. He made his lone Pro Bowl under Saleh in 2023.

A deadline day report indicated the Jets had netted at least one second-round offer for Johnson, but Jones’ information clashes with that. The Jets wanted a second-rounder for Johnson, per Jones. General manager Darren Mougey wasn’t going to move Johnson for less. The Jets picked up Johnson’s fifth-year option for 2026 last spring, meaning they’re not in immediate danger of losing him to free agency.

The Jets wouldn’t part with Hall or Johnson before the deadline, but those two will remain fascinating names to watch during the offseason. The team has a few months to re-sign Hall – if that fails, it could tag him – and Johnson is likely to draw trade interest again in 2026.

2025 Injured Reserve Return Tracker

November 8th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2024 offseason brought a change in how teams could construct their 53-man rosters while retaining flexibility with injured players. Clubs were permitted to attach return designations to two players (in total) placed on IR or an NFI list before setting their initial rosters.

In prior years, anyone placed on IR before a team set its initial 53-man roster could not be activated in-season. All August 26 IR- or NFI-return designations, however, already count against teams’ regular-season limit of eight. Teams will be tasked with determining which players injured in-season will factor into activation puzzles as the year progresses.

All players designated for return on August 26 are eligible to be activated beginning in Week 5, though any player placed on IR after a team set its initial 53 has not been designated for return and therefore does not yet count toward a club’s eight-activation limit. Playoff teams will receive two additional injury activations at that point.

Here is how the 32 teams’ activation puzzles look for Week 11:

Arizona Cardinals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Atlanta Falcons

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Baltimore Ravens

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Buffalo Bills

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Carolina Panthers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Chicago Bears

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Cincinnati Bengals

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Cleveland Browns

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 7

Dallas Cowboys

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Denver Broncos

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Detroit Lions

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Green Bay Packers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Houston Texans

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Indianapolis Colts

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Jacksonville Jaguars

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Activations remaining: 7

Kansas City Chiefs

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activations remaining: 6

Las Vegas Raiders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Los Angeles Chargers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 3

Los Angeles Rams

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 8

Miami Dolphins

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activations remaining: 6

Minnesota Vikings

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

New England Patriots

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 7

New Orleans Saints

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

New York Giants

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

New York Jets

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Philadelphia Eagles

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 5

Pittsburgh Steelers

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Designated for return:

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

San Francisco 49ers

Activated:

Activations remaining: 4

Seattle Seahawks

Designated for return (Aug. 26):

Activated: 

Activations remaining: 6

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

Tennessee Titans

Designated for return:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 6

Washington Commanders

Eligible for activation:

Activated:

Activations remaining: 7

49ers Activate G Ben Bartch From IR

November 8th, 2025 at 4:18pm CST by Connor Byrne

Ben Bartch opened 2025 as the 49ers’ starting left guard, but he has missed most of the season since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2. Bartch, who landed on injured reserve on Sept. 17, is now ready to return after sitting out for almost two months. The team announced on Saturday that it has activated Bartch from IR.

A fourth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2020, Bartch has struggled with injuries throughout his NFL career. He played just three games last season, though Bartch still won the summer competition to take over as San Francisco’s top left guard after Aaron Banks accepted a four-year, $77MM offer from Green Bay in free agency.

Now that Bartch is back, it’s unclear whether he’ll immediately regain his starting job. Connor Colby started six games in Bartch’s absence, but Spencer Burford took the reins in a win over the Giants last week. The 49ers haven’t decided whether Bartch or Burford will start in a key game against the NFC West rival Rams on Sunday, per Noah Furtado of the San Francisco Chronicle.

To make room for Bartch, the 49ers placed defensive end Mykel Williams on IR. The first-rounder’s rookie season ended when he tore his ACL last week. To help fill his void, the 49ers elevated defensive linemen Clelin Ferrell and Sebastian Valdez from their practice squad on Saturday.

Ferrell, who signed with the 49ers in late October, made his debut with the team last week and picked up a sack. Valdez went undrafted out of Washington this year. He’s now in line to make his NFL debut on Sunday.

Mac Jones To Start Week 10; Latest On Other 49ers Injuries

November 7th, 2025 at 7:53pm CST by Ely Allen

Every week, there seems to be something injury-related coming out of the Bay Area. Whether it’s somebody preparing to miss a lot of time, a “will he” or “won’t he” gametime decision, or questions on timetables for return, the 49ers have provided headlines all season. The latest such headline pertains to the middle option as a questionable Brock Purdy will watch Mac Jones start for the sixth week in a row, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

It’s become a weekly post with Purdy, who has been on the team’s injury report every week since he was hurt in the season opener. The 25-year-old has been getting closer and closer to coming back, and head coach Kyle Shanahan communicated that he could still be active as a backup to Jones. Third-string passer Adrian Martinez was signed from the practice squad to the active roster back in October as Purdy was nearing a return back then, so with three quarterbacks on the 53-man, Purdy could either be a primary backup or an emergency third option.

The quarterback role we do know, though, will be Jones, who will start under center for the eighth time this year. After winning his first three starts as an injury replacement, Jones has cooled off, alternating losses and wins since then. Despite a largely injured supporting cast around him, Jones is averaging a career-high 261.7 passing yards per game while also sporting the best touchdown:interception ratio (10:5) of his career. He’ll be looking to buck the trend of alternating finishes after beating the Giants last week.

One player we know won’t be out there is wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. The second-year pass-catcher has been missing since Week 4 and is about to miss his sixth game in a row. Asked about what’s holding Pearsall from being able to play, Shanahan told the media that “he hasn’t been able to hit his normal speeds that would allow him to come back,” per Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. Reporters noted the young wideout had been sighted doing sprints at practices and shooting jump shots in the locker room, but Shanahan was adamant that the team is waiting for Pearsall to be able to hit his old marks.

Pearsall isn’t the only receiver unavailable this week. Veteran wideout Brandon Aiyuk remains on the reserve/PUP list ten weeks into the season. November was offered up last month as a potential return window for the 27-year-old receiver. It’s now been over a year since Aiyuk has appeared in a game, and each week, expectations for Aiyuk’s 21-day practice window to be opened go unrealized. Shanahan continues to seem vaguely optimistic, with Vic Tafur of The Athletic quoting him as “pretty confident” that Aiyuk will be back sometime this season.

Given the extended absences of players like Purdy and Pearsall, among some others, there have been questions on why players missing so much time weren’t put on injured reserve. According to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, the primary reason is simply that they didn’t expect each player to be out for so long. Additionally, while the NFL has implemented the current system wherein teams can bring players back from IR, each team is only given eight such activations.

Lucky teams can put players with minor injuries on IR and activate them four weeks later just to manipulate roster numbers. With so many injuries week in and week out, the 49ers likely would’ve loved to place guys on IR so they could add healthy reinforcements to the roster. Knowing how many impact players they had already placed on IR, though, San Francisco needed to be weary of how it would be able to utilize its limited activations.

One player that did land on IR recently was edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos. Gross-Matos had been out since Week 5 and was expected to make a return soon. Unfortunately, the 27-year-old defender strained his hamstring again near the end of last week, per ESPN’s Nick Wagoner. While it will take Gross-Matos some time to work his way back from the injury, Shanahan doesn’t believe he will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/5/25

November 5th, 2025 at 7:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: LS Peter Bowden

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: DT Coziah Izzard

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: OL Karsen Barnhart
  • Placed on IR: OL Tyler McLellan

Washington Commanders

49ers, Bears, Steelers To Meet With CB Asante Samuel Jr.

November 5th, 2025 at 3:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Asante Samuel Jr.‘s schedule is starting to look like a draft prospect’s itinerary of “30” visits. After the former Chargers cornerback received clearance to return from a troublesome injury, three more teams have entered the fray.

Following a report indicating the Packers, Panthers and Vikings had lined up visits, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes the free agent corner is set to meet with the 49ers, Bears and Steelers as well. While the Broncos not being in this mix will keep the Mountain Time Zone out of the mix, Samuel will otherwise — should he take all the meetings — make a cross-country trek over the next week.

After today’s Panthers visit, Samuel will meet with the Packers on Thursday and the Vikings on Friday. The 49ers, Bears and Steelers meetings will go off, respectively, Monday through Wednesday of next week. This jampacked schedule will give a host of teams the opportunity evaluate a player who spent his four-year Chargers run as a regular starter.

Cleared after spinal fusion surgery, Samuel will have met with a fourth of the league this year if he takes all these meetings. He met with the Saints and Cardinals during the spring and was later connected to the Dolphins’ months-long CB search. This will certainly provide Samuel quality intel on a chunk of the league’s facilities and schemes, something that could be relevant for a 2026 free agency foray, while the upcoming meetings should determine which team lands a young starter-level cover man following the trade deadline.

The 49ers have used Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green and rookie Upton Stout as their primary starters this season. Pro Football Focus has rated Stout as the league’s second-worst CB regular — ahead of only the since-retired Xavien Howard. The 49ers have flexibility here, as both Lenoir and Green have slot experience. Lenoir has operated in a hybrid capacity in multiple seasons, giving San Francisco options if a Samuel signing comes to pass. Samuel has primarily been a boundary corner as a pro.

Pittsburgh has transitioned Jalen Ramsey to safety, following their 2023 move with Patrick Peterson. The Steelers have also seen Darius Slay‘s age-34 season produce some bumps. PFF grades Pittsburgh perimeter corners Slay and Joey Porter Jr. 68th and 71st among corners, respectively. The team also has Brandin Echols, who has logged nearly half of his snaps in the slot this season.

Battling uphill at corner due to Jaylon Johnson‘s early-season injury, the Bears rank 25th in pass defense. Kyler Gordon also missed a chunk of time earlier this season, but the high-paid slot patrolman is back. PFF ranks Chicago fill-in options Nick McCloud and Nahshon Wright outside the top 100 among CBs this season.

Prior to knowledge about Samuel’s surgery — which took place in April — PFR ranked him 32nd on our top 50 free agent list. Samuel, 26, profiled as a younger alternative to the deep late-20s crop at the position this year. But the surgery tabled interest, which has now come flooding back following the report of his clearance. This could go down as a lost season for Samuel, but he could potentially avoid the “prove it” FA tier in 2026 by catching on with a member of his suitor sextet and making notable contributions to close this season.

2025 NFL Trades

November 4th, 2025 at 10:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The modern NFL features four clear trade windows. While the Cowboys and Steelers’ George Pickens swap showed moves can be made at other points on the NFL calendar, early March, the draft, the late-August 53-man roster-setting date and the November deadline reside as the primary points trades occur around the league. On that note, it is a good time to check in on what has transpired on the trade market ahead of today’s deadline.

Excluding pick-for-pick trades, here are the moves NFL teams have made thus far in 2025:

March 1

49ers chose running back Jordan James at 147

March 4

Rams traded pick to Vikings, moving up to No. 172 for linebacker Chris Paul Jr.

March 5

March 6

March 7

Seahawks chose quarterback Jalen Milroe at 92

March 9

Seahawks used No. 52 to trade up (via the Titans) 17 spots for safety Nick Emmanwori, drafted running back Damien Martinez at 223; Steelers selected quarterback Will Howard at 185

March 10

Texans added wide receiver Jaylin Noel at 79, sent 236 to Jaguars in Day 2 trade; Commanders chose wideout Jaylin Lane at No. 128 

Eagles used No. 164 to climb one spot (via Chiefs) in first round for linebacker Jihaad Campbell

March 11

March 12

Bills took Ohio State cornerback Jordan Hancock at 170; Cowboys chose guard Ajani Cornelius at No. 204

Titans drafted running back Kalel Mullings at No. 188; Cowboys chose running back Phil Mafah at 239

March 13

March 15

Vikings packaged No. 187 in trade-down move (via Texans); 49ers drafted safety Marques Sigle at 160

April 3

Patriots traded down from No. 171 (via Lions) to draft kicker Andres Borregales; Cowboys chose defensive tackle Jay Toia at 217

April 26

Seahawks selected defensive lineman Rylie Mills at No. 142; Vikings traded No. 172 to Rams

May 7

June 2

Pick could upgrade to fourth-rounder if performance-based conditions are met

June 30

July 1

August 4

August 17

August 20

August 22

August 24

August 25

August 26

August 27

August 28

September 8

2026 fifth-round pick (from Bryce Huff trade) could upgrade to fourth-rounder, which would be sent to Jacksonville if 49ers DE meets those conditions

September 14

September 23

September 29

October 7

October 8

October 27

October 28

October 29

November 1

November 3

November 4

Higher of Cowboys’ two 2027 firsts will go to Jets in Williams trade

Jets’ Trade Deadline Aftermath

November 4th, 2025 at 10:22pm CST by Ely Allen

The two biggest moves of today’s trade deadline saw the Jets send away two former top-four overall picks in defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner. Many are billing the moves as a teardown of the roster en route to a rebuild, and first-year general manager Darren Mougey has put his team in as good a position as possible to stage an epic rebuild.

Trading Williams and Gardner was not necessarily part of the plan, but according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the Jets were given “offers they could not refuse.” A crucial part of one of today’s trades actually occurred back 112 days ago, when Gardner signed his four-year, $120.4MM extension. Mougey told the media of the strategies that made his trade possible.

“We had a lot of discussions going through that contract process and some of the details we had to have in that contract because you never know how the future is going to unfold,” Mougey said (via Costello). “We always wanted to be in position to potentially trade these contracts.”

The deals took a lot of talent away from a team that has struggled mightily in 2025, even with those stars, but they also brought incredible potential for team improvement. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport credited Mougey for his willingness to hold out throughout the leadup to the trade deadline. As offers continued to pour in with increasing intensity of interest, Mougey held firm, showing teams that he wouldn’t give up his top-tier assets unless serious offers were made. Mougey told reporters that as “Indianapolis kept getting richer and richer” with the value of their offer, it became too good to pass up.

Altogether, the new draft picks acquired in the trades give New York five first-round picks over the next two years — two in 2026 and three in 2027 — and three second-round picks, not to mention the supplemental additions of former first-round defensive tackle Mazi Smith and former second-round receiver Adonai Mitchell. Additionally, Costello reports that, in exchange for taking on $43MM in dead money this season for the trade, “the Jets are projected to have about $117MM in salary cap space” to utilize in free agency.

They didn’t trade away everyone, though. Obviously, they made it clear wide receiver Garrett Wilson wasn’t going anywhere, but the team tried and failed to find new homes for outside linebacker Jermaine Johnson, running back Breece Hall, and linebacker Quincy Williams before the deadline. Some of the issues keeping these trades from happening came down to Mougey’s demand for value.

Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports reports that the Bears and 49ers made serious attempts to acquire Johnson, but both teams pivoted as New York stood pat on their second-round demand. Fellow FOX Sports reporter Ralph Vacchiano claimed little surprise that the Jets kept Johnson over the second-round offers that reportedly did come their way, pointing to the team having already exercised his fifth-year option as evidence that they were less willing to let him go.

Another factor restricting the options available to deal the remaining players came down to competition. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, other “AFC East teams reached out to the Jets about potential deals, but New York was reluctant to trade with division rivals.”

Costello points out that, at this point in time, the oldest draft picks remaining on the Jets’ roster hail from the 2021 draft class and only long snapper Thomas Hennessy, the longest-tenured player on the team, dates back before that. The team is full of youth, and Mougey has set up multiple strong avenues with which he can continue to build around the remaining talent. All that’s left to see is whether or not Mougey can do a better job of building a team than his predecessors who put him in this position.

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