No longer undefeated following a gut-wrenching, last-gasp loss to the Cleveland Browns, the San Francisco 49ers have something to prove in Week 7 on Monday Night Football. Most specifically, quarterback Brock Purdy has something to prove to the NFL world.
Purdy looked downright unstoppable to start the season, playing a key role in the 49ers' undefeated record. He and the offense were rolling through opponents until they went up against a legitimately elite Cleveland defense. Purdy looked worse than ordinary, completing just 12 of his 27 passes for a meager 125 yards. At the end of the game, his QB rating was a ghastly 55.3, though his season average remains at 111.9.
Maybe it was only one bad game, or maybe it was a sign that Purdy is a limited quarterback who is lifted by an All-Pro supporting cast. Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and left tackle Trent Williams all went down with injuries. There are defenders and detractors of Purdy alike, and each could get another opportunity to make their point next week when the 49ers take on the Vikings.
49ers injury update is bad news for Brock Purdy
That's because, per the NFL Network's Clayton Holloway, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Samuel is day-to-day and McCaffrey will need an MRI after suffering an oblique injury. On the bright side, Williams does not have a high-ankle sprain, but that does not necessarily rule him in for the matchup with the Vikings.
All three of these players are elite, among the absolute best at their respective positions. And all three of them look legitimately questionable for Week 7. Thus, Purdy is on trial vs. the Vikings if none of these three can play, or even if one of Samuel or McCaffrey is unavailable.
Purdy has done admirably well under center for the 49ers. His efforts to this point cannot be erased. However, the bar is high for being a truly top-tier quarterback in the NFL, and Purdy needs to prove he can move the ball to lead a team to victory without all of his best teammates on offense. After all, he already has quite the extraordinary defense to fall back on.