Rapoport delivers expected update on 49ers QB Brock Purdy's status vs. Texans
All signs continue to point toward Brock Purdy missing another game for the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear earlier this week that the quarterback's chances of playing Sunday against the Houston Texans were slim.
Purdy has been limited in practice for the second straight week as he continues to recover from a turf toe injury. He was in the same situation last week before ultimately being ruled out for the 49ers' game against the Atlanta Falcons.
So when NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport provided his latest update Thursday night, it's unlikely that many were surprised.
"It sounds like this week, not quite yet for Brock Purdy," the NFL insider reported. "Mac Jones looking at another start as Purdy continues to recover from that relapse of that turf toe injury."
Rapoport also noted that another win for Jones would add another $100,000 to his season earnings, part of the incentive structure built into his contract. Jones has already earned $400,000 in bonuses with four wins as a starter through five games.
The 49ers will release their official injury designations on Friday, which will confirm Purdy's Week 8 status. While there's still a slight chance the quarterback won't be ruled out, it appears increasingly likely that he'll miss his sixth game of the season.
Despite the setback, San Francisco remains optimistic about Purdy's recovery.
"He's doing a really good job," general manager John Lynch said on Thursday. "We're taking the appropriate measures, and what I can tell you is he gets better each week, each day. I do think we're getting closer to him returning."
Chicago Bulls predicted to have All-Star after surprising upset win
The Chicago Bulls had an unenviable opening matchup: the Detroit Pistons without Coby White. Yet, Chicago pulled out a win and surprised everyone. They looked pretty great in doing so. In fact, the team looked so good that one insider is ready to say that this team will have an All-Star this year, and it’s not even clear which player that will be.
Chicago Bulls could have multiple All-Star-level players this season
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The natural All-Star candidate is second-year forward Matas Buzelis. He has limitless potential and started to really look good in preseason. That, plus the unknown factor of Buzelis, meant that he was a likely All-Star candidate, and through one game, that’s been the case. However,
“Even without Coby White, the Bulls opened their season with a 115-111 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. And three different players were a big part of the upset,” Bailey wrote. “Buzelis had 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and blocked three shots for good measure. Two-time All-Star Nikola Vučević had 28 points and 14 boards.”
Everyone looked pretty great, but the combination of a hot finish to 2024-25 and a really solid opening night suggests that one player is the most likely to get an All-Star nod. “But the likeliest All-Star might be Josh Giddey, who closed his 2024-25 averaging 20.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 9.6 assists over his last 18 games and had 19 points and 11 assists on Wednesday,” Bailey continued. “If he keeps stacking up lines like that, and the Bulls are around .500 when All-Star picks are made, he could sneak in.”
Regardless, the fact that Chicago won without White, who could also generate All-Star buzz himself, is impressive. Doing it in such a manner that it’s not clear who the best player on the team will be this season is an even bigger win, and it suggests that all the talk of another mediocre season in the windy city may be totally overblown. For at least one night, things are really looking up for the Bulls, which has been a long time coming.
