San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan faced a dilemma regarding quarterback Brock Purdy’s role in a non-crucial Week 18 game against the Rams. While Shanahan desired for Purdy to maintain the outstanding form that positioned him as a top contender for the NFL MVP award, he also prioritized his health and rest for the upcoming divisional round playoff game in 2.5 weeks.
In the end, Shanahan came to a final decision which he publicly revealed on Wednesday.
In his press conference on Wednesday, Shanahan stated that he is certain Brock Purdy will not be playing and therefore granted him a break for Week 18, effectively ending his regular season for 2023.
Purdy’s decision is likely to negatively impact his rankings in various statistical categories, such as yards passing. With a week off, he is expected to fall from the second position in the NFL with 4,280 passing yards to the fifth position, as Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Jared Goff are all ready to surpass him.
Furthermore, he holds the second position in the NFL with an impressive total of 31 touchdowns, but it is likely that he will fall even lower on that ranking. The Packers’ Jordan Love has 30 touchdown passes, and at least three quarterbacks would have to score three touchdowns each in order to equalize Purdy’s record.
Shanahan was not overly worried about the limited options he had when it came to resting players. Due to NFL rules, he was only allowed to sit a limited number of players, as the team was required to dress 48 players along with two practice-quad players.
On a team of 53 players, it is possible for five individuals to be given rest, in addition to two who may be substituted by practice squad players. The 49ers have an estimated six players who cannot participate due to injuries, resulting in Shanahan having only one available spot for someone to rest.
There are currently six injured players on the team, and only one can be rested unless two practice squad members are included. This led to the decision to rest the starting quarterback, Brock Purdy.
He additionally mentioned that the intention was to have Sam Darnold, the backup player, take the field throughout the entire Week 18, ruling out any opportunity for the third-string quarterback Brandon Allen to receive any playing time.
The challenge for Shanahan and the 49ers lies in ensuring Purdy’s readiness for the playoff opener, which is particularly difficult due to the significant time off he will have, starting with Week 18 and continuing through the wild-card playoff bye.
The Purdy plan includes maintaining the usual practice schedule as a means to achieve that.
Shanahan emphasized that they are taking a regular approach for the week, treating it as they would during this time of year. As per their usual routine, they are going at half-speed and not engaging in full-speed activities on Wednesdays. In terms of practice, Purdy and the other quarterback will split the reps with the first team. Shanahan explained that he wants the team to imagine Purdy getting injured early in the game, which is why both quarterbacks are practicing.
I hope that Brock will have some tasks to complete this week. It would be ideal if we were prepared for that possibility. On Thursday, when everything is at a high pace, we should consider giving Sam most of the tasks. We can discuss this further later today. On Friday, we will resume with a more relaxed walk-through.
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