Latest On 49ers’ Injuries
San Francisco is one of a few teams that have been bitten especially hard by the injury bug this season. Luckily, they’ve avoided the injury to their star running back that had everyone worried about to start the year, but in a crucial divisional matchup last night, the 49ers’ injury report ruled out five players, including the starting quarterback and three wide receivers. 
San Francisco was able to pull out a victory in last night’s game despite the team that’s taken so many hits thus far taking a few more in Los Angeles. The successful trip saw injuries sustained by defensive tackles Kalia Davis, Yetur Gross-Matos, and rookie Alfred Collins, as well as rookie cornerback Upton Stout, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. The only one who appears to have gotten off easy is Stout, who avoided a high ankle sprain, just suffered a regular ankle sprain, and is currently day-to-day.
Davis, on the other hand, will require surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the procedure was scheduled to take place today. There’s some thought that Davis could potentially miss as few as two games. As a defensive lineman, Davis doesn’t have too much use for the gripping mechanic of that appendage in a game, and some expect him to return to play with a club cast on his hand.
Gross-Matos had just come off his only full practice of the week as he worked his way back from a knee injury. While the knee seemingly held up last night, Gross-Matos is now set to miss time with a hamstring strain, which could mean a multi-week absence. The rookie, Collins, suffered a sprained knee. With the Thursday Night Football matchup allowing for a bit more time to recover before their next game, Collins may stand a chance at not missing time, depending on the severity of the sprain.
Lastly, while we knew that star tight end George Kittle would be eligible to return from injured reserve in Week 6 after being placed on list after the season opener, we’ve finally received some insight on a more specific timeline. Per Vic Tafur of The Athletic, head coach Kyle Shanahan informed the media that Kittle likely will not be able to make it back until at least Week 7. At best, this will limit the veteran in-line pass catcher to a five-game absence.
Minor NFL Transactions: 10/3/25
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers (from 49ers): DT Jordan Jefferson
- Waived: DT Howard Cross III
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed from practice squad: WR Alex Bachman
- Placed on IR: OLB Brennan Jackson
The Bengals are the second team to claim Jefferson this year. A 2024 fourth-round pick out of LSU, Jefferson couldn’t make it to Year 2 in Jacksonville and was waived in final roster cuts. Cincinnati tried to claim him then, badly needing improved depth on their defensive line at the time, but San Francisco had higher priority. When the Niners waiving him yesterday, the Bengals got a second chance to claim him.
Jackson is dealing with a foot injury that will take at least four weeks to come back from, making him an easy candidate for injured reserve.
Brock Purdy Suffered Setback With Turf Toe Injury, Could Miss Week 6
OCTOBER 3: Shanahan confirmed (via Cam Inman of the Bay Area Sports Group) that Purdy re-aggravated his injury and will again be week-to-week moving forward.
“[I] don’t know how it will heal,” added Shanahan.
The 49ers can be patient with Purdy’s recovery, as Jones has played well in his three starts, including a 342-yard, two-touchdown perfomance on Thursday night against the Rams. However, the team’s financial commitment to Purdy will likely stave off any chance of a quarterback controversy. Instead, Jones could follow in Sam Darnold‘s footsteps and parlay his success in San Francisco into a starting gig elsewhere.
OCTOBER 2: While it sounded like a short turnaround was the main reason for Brock Purdy‘s absence from tonight’s Week 5 contest, the 49ers QB may actually be sidelined for more than just this week. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Purdy suffered a setback with his turf toe injury and is now considered week-to-week.
Per Rapoport, the quarterback reported soreness following his return in Week 4. The player later underwent an MRI, which revealed an aggravation of his lingering injury. As a result, Purdy is now at risk of missing more than just Week 5, with Rapoport hinting that the 25-year-old could also sit out the 49ers’ Week 6 matchup against the Buccaneers.
Purdy missed Weeks 2 and 3 while dealing with the turf toe injury. He returned for Week 4 and didn’t miss a snap, but he informed coach Kyle Shanahan of some soreness following the loss. Shanahan noted that Purdy and the team had to navigate “a totally different element” considering the four-day turnaround before Thursday Night Football, and after being listed as a non-participant on Monday, the quarterback was later ruled out for Week 5.
Now, it sounds like Purdy is at risk of missing at least his fourth game of the 2025 campaign. The former Mr. Irrelevant has generally stayed healthy throughout his career. He suffered a torn UCL as a rookie during the NFC Championship Game but managed to return for 16 games as a sophomore. He also missed a pair of games in 2024 thanks to shoulder and elbow injuries.
In two games this season, Purdy has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 586 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions. After tossing 31 touchdowns as a sophomore, Purdy finished the 2023 campaign with 20 touchdown passes. The QB inked a five-year, $265MM extension with the 49ers back in May.
Mac Jones will continue to start for the 49ers as long as Purdy is sidelined. The former first-round pick has guided the 49ers to a pair of wins through his first two starts, tossing four touchdowns vs. only one interception.
49ers Sign QB Adrian Martinez From Practice Squad
The 49ers signed quarterback Adrian Martinez to their active roster from the practice squad on Thursday, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
For the third time in four weeks, Martinez will serve as the backup to Mac Jones, who is starting once again in place of an injured Brock Purdy.
Martinez was elevated from the practice squad in Weeks 2 and 3, and the 49ers had the option to use up his third and final elevation for Thursday’s game. Instead, they signed him to the 53-man roster, which will ensure he is available to play as long as Purdy is sidelined after his recent setback.
Jones played every snap in his two starts, winning both games with a total of 563 passing yards and four touchdowns. Turnovers are somewhat of a concern – Jones threw one interception and fumbled twice (one lost) – but he would have to implode for the 49ers to put in Martinez for his NFL debut. Instead, the team will be hoping that Martinez only takes the field if they have built up a massive lead.
A former starter at Nebraska, Martinez spent his senior year at Kansas State, where he tossed six touchdowns vs. one interception. He also had a standout performance while running the ball, collecting another 627 yards and 10 touchdowns. He joined the Lions after going undrafted in 2023, and he later won UFL MVP before winning the league championship with the Birmingham Stallions. He spent the 2024 season on the Jets practice squad and was among the team’s final cuts following the 2025 preseason. He caught on with the 49ers practice squad in late August.
The 49ers offense will also be without wide receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings on Thursday night, giving them an uphill battle against a strong Rams defense on a short week.
Joining Martinez from the practice squad will be defensive end Trevis Gipson and wide receiver Malik Turner, who have been called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations. To make room for Martinez on the 53-man roster, defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson was waived, and to fill Martinez’s open spot on the practice squad, the team signed cornerback Derrick Canteen.
49ers QB Brock Purdy Out For Week 5
OCTOBER 1: Purdy has been ruled out for tomorrow’s game (h/t Ian Rapoport of NFL Network). As a result, it will be Jones handling QB1 duties once again when the 49ers visit the Rams.
SEPTEMBER 30: After missing two games with turf toe, Brock Purdy managed to return to action in Week 4. The 49ers may once again be without their starting quarterback on Thursday, however. 
Purdy did not miss any time in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars. The injured toe was not an issue during the game. Shortly after the contest, though, Purdy informed head coach Kyle Shanahan he had begun to experience soreness. With the 49ers on a short week, this situation will be worth watching closely.
“Anytime guys are sore and hurting on a Monday, you usually don’t stress too much about it,” Shanahan said, via Matt Barrows of The Athletic (subscription required). “But any time you have a Thursday game, it’s a totally different element. So yeah, I’m concerned with anybody who’s not totally healthy at this moment, but we’ll have to get more information on that… to really kind of have a clue of what to speculate.”
San Francisco did not practice on Monday given the team’s upcoming Thursday night contest against the Rams. On the team’s estimated practice report, Purdy was listed as a non-participant. The 49ers will conduct a walkthrough today as preparation, and it will be interesting to see if he able to take part. Even if that is not the case, the 25-year-old could of course still manage to suit up on Thursday. At this point, Purdy is considered questionable.
“We will take every precaution to make sure Brock’s alright,” general manager John Lynch said during an appearance on KNBR radio this morning (via Barrows). “I think he is.”
Purdy – who inked a five-year, $265MM extension this spring – has totaled 586 passing yards so far this season while throwing two touchdowns and two interceptions in each of his starts. In the event the 2023 Pro Bowler is once again forced to miss time, Mac Jones will return to the lineup. Jones has won each of his starts while posting a 4:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. With a game against the 3-1 Rams upcoming, San Francisco’s quarterback situation will again be something to monitor.
49ers Hosted DB Shilo Sanders
While Browns QB Shedeur Sanders is still awaiting his first snap in a regular season NFL game, his older brother, Shilo Sanders, is simply trying to get back into the league. Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Shilo worked out for the 49ers earlier this week.
Shilo, a defensive back, signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in May. Of course, he and Shedeur spent four collegiate seasons together, first at Jackson State and then at Colorado, all under head coach/father/NFL icon Deion Sanders. While Shedeur’s draft stock was one of the preeminent storylines of this offseason, Shilo’s NFL future largely flew under the radar.
Facing the same uphill battle that all UDFAs encounter, Shilo did not help his cause by getting flagged for pass interference and being ejected for throwing a punch in the Bucs’ preseason finale. The club ultimately waived him during final cutdowns at the end of August and elected against bringing him back to the practice squad after he cleared waivers.
Shilo’s visit with San Francisco is the first time he has received publicly-reported interest since Tampa Bay waived him. The Niners were apparently looking for secondary/special teams depth, as they also hosted fellow DBs Brandon Joseph and Jaylen Mahoney at the same time, per Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports. The team ultimately added Mahoney – who saw action in three games with San Francisco last year – to the taxi squad, leaving Shilo to continue looking for an NFL employer.
Should he choose to explore a football career north of the border, he may have such an opportunity. As JC Abbott of 3DownNation.com writes, the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League added Shilo to their negotiation list, just as they did with Shedeur earlier this year.
As a reminder, being on a CFL club’s negotiation list does not mean a player has expressed an interest in playing for that club, or even playing in the CFL at all. It merely means that the team will have the first opportunity to sign the player should he ever attempt to play in the league.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/27/25
Here are Saturday’s minor moves and standard gameday practice squad elevations:
Buffalo Bills
- Elevated: DT Jordan Phillips
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: OLB Boogie Basham, G Brandon Walton
Chicago Bears
- Signed from practice squad: LB Carl Jones
- Elevated: TE Stephen Carlson, DT Jonathan Ford
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: WR Jalen Cropper
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: WR Jackson Meeks
- Placed on IR: S Daniel Thomas
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: G Lecitus Smith
Houston Texans
- Elevated: CB Myles Bryant, CB D’Angelo Ross
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: CB Mike Hilton, G Josh Sills
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Elevated: TE Quintin Morris, WR Austin Trammell
Kansas City Chiefs
- Elevated: CB Kevin Knowles, DT Brodric Martin
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: TE Albert Okwuegbunam, TE Carter Runyon
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: T Foster Sarell, RB Kimani Vidal
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: RB Cam Akers
New England Patriots
- Elevated: LB Darius Harris, C Brenden Jaimes
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: DE Fadil Diggs, LB Nephi Sewell
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: RB Trey Sermon
San Francisco 49ers
- Elevated: CB Eli Apple
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Curtis Jacobs, RB Jordan Mims
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: CB Antonio Hamilton, WR Tay Martin
With Colts cornerback Kenny Moore presumed to potentially miss a few weeks, the recent signee, Hilton, will get his opportunity to supplement the team’s secondary. He may be able to earn an official spot on the 53-man roster with an impactful game. Similarly, Cropper may be able to get into his first NFL game since going undrafted in 2023 as he gets elevated to a receiving corps that will sorely miss CeeDee Lamb.
Morris is getting called up for the third time for Jacksonville. If the Jaguars intend for him to appear in another game after this week, they’ll need to sign him to the 53-man roster.
49ers’ Brock Purdy To Return In Week 4
The 49ers will have their starting quarterback ready to roll in Week 4. After two missed games, Brock Purdy is returning; Kyle Shanahan confirmed the recently extended passer will be back against the Jaguars.
It had been trending in this direction for a bit. Purdy made progress early during his recovery, offering more optimism than this two-injury rehab process initially brought. His return will be a welcome sight to another injury-plagued 49ers team.
[RELATED: Brandon Aiyuk Not Close To Returning]
San Francisco lost its starter to a bout with turf toe and a shoulder injury. These two games marked Purdy’s second and third injury-driven absences as a pro (he missed Week 18 of the 2024 season). Though, Purdy has obviously not been a health staple since debuting. His UCL tear sustained in the 2022 NFC championship game prompted the NFL to change the rules regarding QB roster spots. While Purdy was limited throughout the 49ers’ ensuing offseason, he returned in Week 1 of the following season and earned an original-ballot Pro Bowl nod.
This comeback will help a 49ers team that has missed George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Ben Bartch on offense. San Francisco’s defense absorbed the strongest injury blow, losing Nick Bosa for the season. Still, the 49ers are 3-0 and facing a favorable schedule.
Mac Jones delivered two capable performances, helming the 49ers to wins over the Saints and Cardinals. Benched by the Patriots in 2023 and dealt to the Jaguars for a Day 3 pick in 2024, Jones is on a two-year, $7MM contract. The backup performed well considering the injuries the 49ers have suffered on offense; this included Jones aggravating a PCL sprain sustained in the preseason. The former New England first-rounder combined for 563 passing yards, four touchdown passes and one interception (66.3% completion rate) in his starts, providing an encouraging sign in the event Purdy misses more time.
How Purdy performs upon return will be worth monitoring, as the 49ers gave him a five-year, $265MM extension that came with $100MM fully guaranteed. Purdy, 25, received a no-trade clause on a deal that did not approach Dak Prescott‘s 2024 record-setter. Purdy sits as only the seventh-highest-paid QB, but 49ers fans will need to see a noticeable gap between he and Jones to feel good about the team reshaping its cap sheet around a $53MM-per-year contract.
Purdy did his best work when the 49ers carried their five-All-Pro cadre on offense in 2023. Only two of those players (Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams) are presently available, with Kittle on IR, Brandon Aiyuk on the reserve/PUP list and Deebo Samuel being traded. The 49ers did see Jennings provide a limited practice Friday after missing Week 3 with ankle and shoulder maladies. Ricky Pearsall, who exited Week 3 as the NFL’s third-leading pass catcher, practiced twice in a limited capacity this week with a knee injury. The 49ers also saw Demarcus Robinson‘s three-game personal conduct suspension end, moving the free agency addition toward his debut.
Contract Details: T. Smith, Z. Smith, 49ers
Here are the latest details from recently agreed-upon contracts:
- Tyler Smith, G (Cowboys). Four years, $96MM. Receiving $41.66MM guaranteed at signing, the NFL’s highest-paid guard secured a rolling guarantee structure. Smith’s 2025 and ’26 base salaries are locked in at signing. A $12MM portion of his 2027 compensation becomes fully guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, per Spotrac. A $19MM chunk of Smith’s 2028 compensation shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee on Day 5 of the 2027 league year. On Day 5 of the ’28 league year, Smith stands to see $6.6MM of his ’29 compensation lock in. The Cowboys would owe Smith a $21MM option bonus by Week 1 of the 2029 season; a $20MM option bonus would be due by Week 1 of the 2030 slate. Four void years are in this contract.
- Colton McKivitz, RT (49ers). Three years, $45MM. Of McKivitz’s $27MM guaranteed, $18.71MM is guaranteed at signing (per OverTheCap). McKivitz’s money is guaranteed in 2025 and ’26, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who notes an early guarantee date exists in this contract as well. McKivitz’s $12.67MM 2027 option bonus features an $8.29MM injury guarantee; $6.29MM of the latter number vests on April 1, 2026, giving the veteran tackle some early security. Another $2MM of that bonus becomes guaranteed on April 1, 2027. McKivitz’s 2028 compensation is nonguaranteed. Because of the option bonuses and four void years, the deal does not bring a $10MM cap number until 2028.
- Za’Darius Smith, OLB (Eagles). One year, $4.25MM. Initially reported as being worth up to $9MM, Smith’s Philadelphia contract carries $4.25MM in base value, per Florio. There are $2MM in sack-based incentives included, and a $500K Pro Bowl bonus is part of the package as well. The “up to” report also brought a minor inflation, with Florio adding Smith maxing out incentives would bring the value to $8.25MM.
- Dalton Risner, G (Bengals). One year, $1.34MM. This value (reported by OverTheCap) is barely above the veteran minimum, but with Risner on the Bengals’ Week 1 roster, it is fully guaranteed (rather than just the $168K guarantee-at-signing figure). This is another pay cut for Risner, who earned $2.78MM in 2023 and $2.41MM last season.
Mac Jones Battling PCL Sprain; Brock Purdy Likely To Return In Week 4?
SEPTEMBER 25: Nothing is certain at this point regarding the 49ers’ Week 4 quarterback situation, but the team could have two healthy passers to choose from. Purdy was a limited practice participant Wednesday and again today, and he said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner) he is happy with his recovery progress. Jones, meanwhile, stated (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic) he will be ready to play if needed on Sunday.
SEPTEMBER 22: Facing perennial issues keeping key players healthy, the 49ers have two injured quarterbacks entering Week 4. Mac Jones joins Brock Purdy in rehabbing an injury.
Jones aggravated a PCL sprain Sunday, informing reporters (including NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) of the malady — one he initially sustained during training camp. Jones was not on San Francisco’s injury report last week, but it sounds like he will be for Week 4. Fortunately for the 49ers, they look to have a good chance of seeing Purdy back in action by then.
Logging three limited practices last week while recovering from an AC joint sprain and turf toe, Purdy has submitted a better-than-anticipated recovery effort, Rapoport adds. This puts a Week 4 return against the Jaguars firmly in play, after Purdy had been rumored to be available in case of emergency days before Week 3. That did not end up being the case, with the 49ers ruling out their starter.
Purdy has now missed three career starts due to injury — the past two weeks and Week 18 of the 2024 season — after seeing a Jimmy Garoppolo injury launch his stunning ascent. The 49ers have been without Purdy, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Ben Bartch on offense. They improved to 3-0 under these circumstances, beating the Saints and Cardinals, but their Nick Bosa loss represents a more significant issue. Having Purdy back should help the cause, though the 49ers are again battered by maladies at an early-season juncture.
Four years after being closely linked to the 49ers during the pre-draft process, Jones joined the team on a two-year, $7MM deal. He delivered back-to-back wins, following a three-touchdown performance in New Orleans with a 284-yard, one-TD showing in a 16-15 win over Arizona. Benched in New England and traded to Jacksonville as a clear backup, Jones has given the 49ers an upgrade at the QB2 position. Considering the injury trouble the franchise has run into at QB during Shanahan’s tenure, that is rather important. Jones probably raised his stock during this stretch, but in signing a two-year deal, no near-future path to a starting role elsewhere is on the horizon.
As for Bosa, Shanahan said (via the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman) the former Defensive Player of the Year suffered a clean ACL tear. Bosa came back on time after his September 2020 ACL tear, playing 17 games in 2021 to lead a 49ers resurgence. The 49ers will hope this largely Bosa-less season goes far better than their injury-riddled 2020 campaign — a 6-10 slate that also included an extensive Garoppolo absence — and having Purdy back soon would be a good sign for the long-running contender.