49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (shoulder) did not practice again Thursday.
Jennings left with his injury in the fourth quarter of the 49ers’ win over the Seahawks and did not return. MRI and CT scans revealed no significant damage to his left shoulder.
He had two catches for 16 yards in Week 1.
Running back Christian McCaffrey (calf/not injury related) missed practice Wednesday, but he returned to full participation Thursday.
McCaffrey created some concern last week when he popped up on the injury report, but the 2023 offensive player of the year said it was “nothing serious.” He played 58 offensive snaps and had 31 touches for 142 yards from scrimmage.
Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) returned to limited work after missing Wednesday’s sessions.
The rest of the team’s report remained the same, with quarterback Brock Purdy (left shoulder/toe) and left tackle Trent Williams (knee/not injury related) not practicing again. Offensive guard Ben Bartch (knee/elbow), running back Jordan James (finger) and wide receiver Jordan Watkins (ankle) remained limited.
Saints defensive end Chase Young remained out of practice Thursday, which doesn’t bode well for his availability for Sunday.
Young hurt his calf in the Sept. 3 practice and sat out last Thursday and Friday before being inactive for the season opener.
Young played all 17 games last season.
Offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga (knee) returned to practice on a limited basis after missing Wednesday’s work. Long snapper Zach Wood (elbow) was downgraded to a non-participant after limited work a day earlier.
The rest of the team’s injury report remained the same with offensive lineman Trevor Penning (toe) and safety Julian Blackmon (shoulder) still out; running back Velus Jones (knee) again limited; and safety Jordan Howden (oblique) a full participant for the second day in a row.
Quarterback Mac Jones is set to make his first start for the 49ers on Sunday when San Francisco takes on New Orleans.
He may be making a few starts for the 49ers, with Brock Purdy considered week-to-week with a toe injury.
In a radio interview with KNBR on Thursday morning, 49ers General Manager John Lynch said that the team is “really pleased” to have Jones.
“Mac was a guy, back in the draft process, we studied a lot, really liked,” Lynch said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “He has had his ups and downs in his NFL career, but since he’s been a part of us, really has taken to our offense, really fits our culture. He can run our offense, and run it well, and we don’t have to change a whole lot when he’s out there.
“So, I’m excited to see him get an opportunity to go show what he can do. And we’ve got to go put together another solid effort on the road in another tough place to play, in New Orleans.”
Jones was the No. 15 overall pick of the 2021 draft. The 49ers were rumored to be interested in him after trading up to No. 3 overall, but ended up selecting Trey Lance at that spot.
Jones has compiled a 20-29 record as a starter in his four pro seasons. Last year, the Jaguars were 2-5 in his seven starts. In 10 total appearances in 2024, Jones completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,672 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Earlier on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy will miss anywhere from two to five weeks with a toe injury.
In a Thursday morning interview with KNBR, General Manager John Lynch did not confirm that particular timeline. But he did note that Purdy will at least be out for the Week 2 matchup against the Saints.
“What I can confirm is I talked to, obviously, our trainer, our doctor, Dr. [Robert] Anderson, who’s the preeminent foot and ankle specialist in the NFL,” Lynch said, via David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “What we’re dealing with is kind of a week-to-week thing. That’s our information.
“Brock’s doing well, coming back from it, and we’ll just treat it as such. He’s doing a nice job, doing everything he can to get back out there as soon as possible. And so, that’s where we’re at.”
While Lynch didn’t get into all of the medical test results, he reiterated that they’ll revisit Purdy’s availability on a week-to-week basis.
“Going into the scans and all that, I’ll tell you that the feeling was more on the positive side than what it could have been going in there,” Lynch said. “That was a good thing. We look forward to getting Brock back, but in his stead, we’re confident in Mac and his ability to compete at a high level for us.”
Purdy, who signed a five-year extension in May, finished the first game of the season 26-of-35 passing for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Former first-round pick Mac Jones is slated to start while Purdy is sidelined.
After 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan called quarterback Brock Purdy a long shot to play against the Saints in Week 2 because of a toe injury, he said that Purdy’s absence could extend beyond Sunday.
A report on Thursday indicates that the expectation is that Purdy will be out for more than one game. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Purdy is expected to miss the team’s Week 3 game against Arizona as well and that his absence could stretch to five weeks.
Placing Purdy on injured reserve would mean he’d miss at least four games, but there’s been no sign that the 49ers plan to go that route and a window of that size suggests they’d keep him on the active roster with the hope that he’ll be ready to go on the earlier side of the window.
Either way, it looks like Mac Jones will get his first chance to lead the 49ers offense and that a unit that’s also missing wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle will have to adapt on the fly to significant changes to their lineup.
