The Arizona Cardinals (3–6) are set to face off at home against their division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers (6–4). But the news coming out ahead of this matchup is that the 49ers will have one key player returning to the lineup.
It was announced on Thursday that Brock Purdy is expected to return to the lineup ahead of the matchup, as he put up a very good week of practice. Purdy had been out since Sept. 27, as he suffered a toe injury in the team’s loss at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I feel good, feel healthy and excited to be back and ready to go and lead the guys,” Purdy said. “I’m really excited about this week. It’s been a good week so far…Obviously we’ve got to finish out strong this week, but feel really good.”
The 49ers had been starting Mac Jones under center for the past six weeks, during which the team went 3–3 in that span. Jones played pretty well, as he averaged 264.7 passing yards a game with a 70% completion percentage, also maintaining an above-average passer rating of 97.1.
The NFC West is as talented as ever, with the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers all posting six wins thus far, with the Cardinals being the odd one out on that front.
In the two games he’s played, Purdy has eclipsed 270 yards passing each time, throwing four touchdowns and four interceptions (a 1:1 touchdown-interception ratio). The guy can sling it while also relying on the checkdown if necessary.
Cardinals rookie cornerback Will Johnson has not practiced all week, and his status for Sunday’s game may be in jeopardy. This would be a massive loss for Arizona, as the return of Purdy mixed in with the slim depth at cornerback could be a recipe for disaster.
More updates will follow ahead of Sunday, but it is important news nonetheless that Purdy is likely to return this week.