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Will Brock Purdy start for the San Francisco 49ers when he returns? Dan Stephens breaks down the Week 10 Brock Purdy return timeline and fantasy football outlook.
Brock Purdy (toe), the last player selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, signed a $265 million contract extension with the San Francisco 49ers in May 2025. The deal not only made him one of the highest-paid players in the league but calso emented his status as the team’s unquestioned starter and leader of the offense.
Unfortunately, in the first game of the 2025 season, Purdy suffered a turf toe injury that has cost him seven games to date. In his stead, former first-rounder Mac Jones has stepped up, going 5-2 and passing for 1,832 yards and 10 touchdowns with a 67.2% completion rate.
The 49ers are financially motivated to put Purdy back in the driver’s seat once he’s ready, but Jones’ effectiveness as a starter can’t be ignored. So who will be the 49ers’ starting quarterback when Purdy is healthy enough to play?
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Will Brock Purdy Start For The 49ers When He Returns?
Unlike Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow (toe), who suffered a similar injury in Week 1 and was placed on injured reserve as a result, Purdy has been evaluated on a week-to-week basis. When Purdy was judged to be ready for a return to action in Week 4, the 49ers gave him the nod. Unfortunately, that led to a reaggravation of the injury, and he has sat out the five games since.
Jones’ success in the meantime has led to rumors of a brewing quarterback controversy. Stoking that buzz are memories of head coach Kyle Shanahan eyeing Jones for the 49ers’ first selection (third overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft, an honor that ultimately went to Trey Lance. For his part, Jones seems to understand his role now that he is a 49er.
Mac Jones on if he should be the starter moving forward ⬇️
(via @49ers) pic.twitter.com/ikq26qJjf4
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) October 3, 2025
Jones’ comments were on the heels of San Francisco’s trouncing of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, when Jones went off for 342 yards and two touchdowns. In a conference call with the media on Monday, head coach Kyle Shanahan reiterated that there is no doubt that Purdy will be the man once he is ready to return to the field.
#49ers coach Kyle Shanahan on whether Brock Purdy's return date is contingent at all on how Mac Jones is playing: "They’re not related. This is Brock’s team. When Brock’s good to go and everything and can play like Brock, there’s no decision to be made. It’s just nice as we go…
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) November 3, 2025
Brock Purdy Fantasy Football Outlook
Brock Purdy can be treated as a QB2 if and when he can return to the field. Mac Jones has made good enough use of the tools around him to simulate Purdy’s production. To date, Jones has finished as a top-12 option at quarterback twice and in the top-20 three other times.
Jones has done so for the most part without the help of Ricky Pearsall (knee) or, until recently, George Kittle. Purdy will have the benefit of a healthy Kittle to throw to, and there is hope that Pearsall is not far from returning himself. Brandon Aiyuk’s (knee) timeline is still fuzzy, but his return would demand attention from opposing defenses, potentially making it easier for Purdy to find gaps in coverage.
Coach Shanahan has acknowledged that Purdy’s turf toe issue may linger all season. That means when Purdy is capable of playing again, it will likely be through pain. This will affect his mobility and even his footwork when planting to throw, which in turn could potentially limit him from reaching the levels of production we saw from him in 2023 and 2024. Fantasy football managers rostering Purdy should only hold onto him if they have the depth and flexibility in their bench to accommodate his week-to-week status.
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 10 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Zach Charbonnet, Quentin Johnston, Courtland Sutton, Jordan Addison. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 10. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
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Popular Week 10 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 10 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 10 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 10 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Zach Charbonnet, Quentin Johnston, Courtland Sutton, Jordan Addison, compared to others:
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