Brock Purdy practicing again but still limited with toe injury; 49ers hope to have George Kittle vs. Falcons
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy practiced Wednesday for the first time since aggravating his toe injury in Week 4, although he is still limited.
More specifically, Purdy is more limited than Mac Jones, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Jones, the 49ers' backup quarterback who has gone 3-1 in Purdy's place, has been dealing with knee and oblique injuries.
Purdy signed a five-year, $265 million extension in May but suffered toe and left shoulder injuries during a season-opening win over the Seattle Seahawks. The toe injury, a turf toe variant, was the more serious of the two issues, and it's proven as such.
Purdy's return in Week 4 was short-lived. He cleared the 300-yard passing mark in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, yet he also threw two interceptions, and he said toe soreness started to bother him later that night.
He's sat the past two games while Jones delivered "Thursday Night Football" heroics amid an overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams and then continued to fill in this past weekend, albeit in his first loss as the 49ers' starter to the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"I'm sure, like a lot of players, it sucks to be such a big part of it and suddenly you work for it year-round and then not to be able to do much because of injury — I know injuries frustrate people, but Brock's handling it right, like he does everything," Shanahan said Wednesday.
"But I know he's itching to get back and feel good again."
George Kittle is nearing return
Like Purdy, Kittle got banged up in Week 1, only the five-time All-Pro hasn't played since. Kittle sustained a significant hamstring injury against the Seahawks and was placed on injured reserve.
The 49ers opened his 21-day practice window Wednesday. They hope to have him available for Sunday night's game against the Atlanta Falcons, who have rattled off wins over the Washington Commanders and Buffalo Bills the past two weeks after a 1-2 start to the year.
"Just had a good meeting, had a good walkthrough, and he's ready for practice today," Shanahan said Wednesday about Kittle.
"Had a big hamstring pull, which there's a lot of different degrees of it. His was a big one. ... I know he's excited to get back."
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Shanahan said Kittle can always have an impact on the 49ers as a leader, regardless if he's playing. Kittle has recorded four 1,000-yard receiving seasons since San Francisco took him in the fifth round of the 2017 draft out of Iowa.
He's also been a key part of two NFC championship-winning 49ers squads.
"George is one of our leaders here," Shanahan said. "I mean all the guys who've been around for a while, George has been here since the beginning. Also one of our better players. So anytime you have guys like that, I do think they're always a big impact."
In Kittle's absence, Jake Tonges has emerged as a viable option at tight end. He caught the game-winner in Week 1, and he currently ranks second and fourth on the team with 25 receptions and 224 receiving yards, respectively.
But Kittle is one of the best in the league.
"Just having an explosive athlete out there who can run away from people," Shanahan said. "Just having him on the field on every offensive play helps."