Sep 28, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) after the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Fresh off their first loss of the season, the San Francisco 49ers are playing for first place in the NFC West against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday. Unfortunately for San Francisco, it will be without one of its most important players for this pivotal divisional tilt.

After coming back against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4, 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy will miss Thursday night's game. He is battling the same toe injury that forced him to miss Week 2 and Week 3 games against the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals, respectively. It doesn't seem like the best development if Purdy has already reaggravated the injury just one week after coming back.

If there's good news for the 49ers, they seem to do very well when shorthanded. The bad news is that the Rams are a loaded Super Bowl contender, custom-built to take advantage of shorthanded teams like the 49ers. We'll see where the rubber meets the road for San Francisco without Purdy.

Who is Brock Purdy's backup on the 49ers?

Former first-round draft pick Mac Jones will fill in for Purdy in his stead. Jones led the 49ers to two wins while Purdy initially sat earlier this year. Jones threw four total touchdowns and completed over 66 percent of his passes.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 49ers-Rams injury report: Is Brock Purdy playing Thursday night?

Reporting by Robert Zeglinski, For The Win / For The Win

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect