49ers’ Brock Purdy out for third straight game; Mac Jones to start against Falcons

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Quarterback Brock Purdy has been officially ruled out of his third straight game for the San Francisco 49ers with a toe injury and Mac Jones will start against the Atlanta Falcons

Coach Kyle Shanahan also said that tight end George Kittle will return after missing the past five games with a hamstring injury and that receiver Ricky Pearsall will miss his third straight game with a knee injury.

Purdy initially hurt his toe in the season opener against Seattle but returned after missing two games. He struggled in a loss against Jacksonville in Week 4 and still had pain in the toe. He will now be out for a fifth time in six games.

Purdy was able to practice this week on a limited basis and is closer to making his return.

“He was able to get out there, throw more,” Shanahan said. “I thought it was definitely a step further ahead than it was last week. So, going in the right direction.”

Jones is 3-1 as a starter for San Francisco and leads the NFL with 313 yards passing per game this season. Jones’ 1,252 yards passing are the most ever by a San Francisco quarterback in his first four starts with the team and eighth most in NFL history for a player in his first four starts with a team.

Adrian Martinez, who has not taken a snap in the NFL, will once again be the backup to Jones with Purdy set to miss his seventh game because of injury in San Francisco’s last 14 games dating to last season.

Jones will get the benefit of throwing for the first time to Kittle, who went down with the injury in the first half of the season opener at Seattle. The Niners are hoping Kittle’s return will provide a needed boost to the running game with his blocking as well as giving Jones another option as a pass catcher.

“George is awesome,” Jones said. “Obviously, haven’t gotten a lot of reps with him, but we have in a way too, just from me watching, being a fan from afar. He’s just great energy in the huddle and he’s just George.”

The 49ers still need to activate Kittle from injured reserve on Saturday but have an open roster spot after placing receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling on injured reserve Friday with a calf injury.

Defensive lineman Kevin Givens (pectoral) also could return from IR and make his season debut this week. San Francisco can create another roster spot by placing linebacker Fred Warner on injured reserve after he went down with an ankle injury last week.

Receiver Ricky Pearsall will miss his third straight game with a knee injury and defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos will be out for a second straight week with an injured hamstring.

Cornerbacks Renardo Green (neck) and Upton Stout (ankle) are both listed as questionable.

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