"That was malpractice": 49ers insider calls out Kyle Shanahan-led team for letting Brock Purdy play Week 4 game vs. Jaguars

San Francisco 49ers insider Grant Cohn has called out Kyle Shanahan’s decision to play quarterback Brock Purdy against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday. Purdy featured for the 49ers last Sunday for the first time since he hurt his toe in their Week 1 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Purdy struggled on Sunday as the 49ers recorded their first loss of the season, raising questions about Shanahan’s decision to feature him in the game. With Purdy set to miss Thursday night's game against Los Angeles, Cohn posted on X, accusing Shanahan of “malpractice” for playing him on Sunday. He wrote:

“The fact that the 49ers cleared Brock Purdy for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars isn’t being talked about enough. That was malpractice.”

Grant Cohn

@grantcohn

The fact that the 49ers cleared Brock Purdy for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars isn’t being talked about enough. That was malpractice.

Brock Purdy is back on injury watch after Sunday’s game. Shanahan told the press on Monday that the quarterback complained about his toe. He said:

“But Brock Purdy is complaining about some soreness in his toe this morning, so we’ll have to look into that more later today.”

The coach insisted, however, that Purdy was not bothered by the toe while the game was on, saying:

“I talked to him on the phone last night, and he said it was starting to bother him a little bit last night, but nothing during the game at all.”

However, Purdy conceded three turnovers in the game, all on first down. He completed 22 of 38 passes for 309 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. According to Cohn,

“He couldn’t move well, nor could he throw accurately. He seemed like his toe clearly was affecting his performance.”

Brock Purdy downplays new concerns about toe injury

Amidst concerns about the state of his toe injury, Brock Purdy has come out to reassure fans. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, he indicated that he feels better now than he felt after getting injured in Week 1. He said:

“[My] toe’s just a little sore from the game, but nowhere near as bad as after Seattle.”

The quarterback further addressed concerns about his expected absence from Thursday’s game, saying:

“With the quick turnaround, Thursday night game, and everything, it’s just tougher. You don’t have as many days to get right, heal up, and feel better. So, [that’s] just where we’re at.”

It is not yet clear how soon the quarterback might return to action. However, fans will be hoping to have him when the 49ers face Tampa Bay in Week 3.