"He's Not Going To Suit Up" 49ers Face Sudden Loss Hours Before Kickoff Vs Texans - Gridiron Heroics
The San Francisco 49ers made an unexpected roster announcement Sunday morning, ruling out one of their key starters just hours before their Week 8 matchup. The change alters the team’s offensive outlook and forces a veteran backup into action.
That starter is quarterback Brock Purdy, who has officially been ruled out due to a toe injury, the team confirmed on its final inactive list. The decision comes after Purdy was limited in practice throughout the week and listed as questionable entering the weekend.
Hours before kickoff, 49ers lose Brock Purdy for Texans Matchup
Head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters the injury had not improved enough for Purdy to play. “We tried to see how he felt this morning, but he just couldn’t push off comfortably,” Shanahan said. “It’s not worth the risk at this point in the season.”
Veteran Mac Jones will start in Purdy’s place against the Houston Texans, marking his first start since joining the 49ers in the offseason. Jones has taken first-team reps in practice during Purdy’s limited sessions and will lead the offense behind an offensive line that has struggled with consistency this year.
Purdy, 25, has missed multiple games this season with a lingering turf-toe–related injury to his right foot. In the five games he has played, he has completed
The 49ers are also without rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall
San Francisco has not provided a timetable for Purdy’s return, though team officials said he will be re-evaluated early next week.
Lions set to get sneaky boost as overlooked defender nears return from injury
The Detroit Lions went into their Week 8 bye on a high note with a 24-9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The defense, with a secondary depleted by injuries and the suspension of Brian Branch, especially stepped up.
Heading into that game, with the bye week around the corner, head coach Dan Campbell was asked about linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez as he seemingly nears a return from the torn ACL he suffered last Thanksgiving.
"Yeah, we're hoping after the bye (to start Rodriguez's 21-day return window), we can start rolling him out there a little bit", Campbell said.
Rodriguez underwent a second surgery to clean up scar tissue in his injured right knee during the offseason. That didn't appear likely to impact the expectation he'd be able to return sometime in November, approaching one year since his injury, and Campbell's comments confirmed that.
Malcolm Rodriguez is more than ready to return to action
While the Lions' secondary became the "Legion of Whom" against the Buccaneers, the linebacking corps has been a core strength of the defense. Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, and Derrick Barnes are all having nice seasons (No. 5, No. 23, and No. 33, respectively, among off-ball linebackers by overall Pro Football Focus grade entering Week 8).
So, barring injury (knock on wood), Rodriguez will likely slide into a role as a core special teamer when he's ready to play. That said, he has been effective filling in when needed since he started 15 games as a rookie in 2022.
Before he was injured last season, with Barnes out due to an early-season knee injury and Anzalone later suffering a broken arm, Rodriguez had 43 total tackles and two sacks over 10 games (six starts) and 318 defensive snaps.
The fourth-year man said he's been cleared for everything but football activity for more than a month and has been waiting "to plug in at the perfect time to come back."
"I'm ready for it," Rodriguez said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "It's one of those things where I want to get thrown into the fire and see what it does. I don't want to just ease into it, I kind of want to go full force."
Every case has to be treated uniquely (see Alim McNeill), but the Lions tend to slow-play putting players back on the field when they're coming back from major injuries. So it's possible that Rodriguez's three-week window to be activated is taken right to the end, and his playing time may be carefully managed for a game or two. But as expected, "Rodrigo" has no interest in being eased into action.
