Brock Purdy will not play when the San Francisco 49ers open the 2026 NFL preseason against the Tennessee Titans, leaving Mac Jones as the clear backup and the most likely quarterback to handle the first game reps behind him. Vic Tafur of The Athletic reported that Purdy will sit out.
The timing matters because Purdy has been the center of camp work and has taken every first-team repetition, yet the 49ers are still choosing caution for a player entering his fifth NFL season. He also has looked sharp, connecting with De'Zhaun Stribling for a 50-yard touchdown during a joint practice with the Titans earlier this week, but that has not changed the plan for the opener.
That approach fits with Kyle Shanahan's usual method of limiting important starters early in the preseason. It also gives San Francisco a chance to sort through the rest of the quarterback room, with Kurtis Rourke and Adrian Martinez expected to be available against Tennessee and in line for more exposure if Jones handles the first backup role as expected.
The broader picture around the San Francisco 49ers makes the decision easier to understand. Ricky Pearsall is expected to miss the entire season after surgery to repair a PCL injury, Christian Kirk has been sidelined with a calf issue, Mike Evans has been out with a quadriceps issue, Christian McCaffrey has spent time away from practice because of minor soreness, and George Kittle has yet to receive clearance after being seen running routes before Monday while recovering from an Achilles issue.
So while Purdy's camp work has pointed toward a quarterback ready to go, the 49ers are not treating the preseason opener as the place to test that. Jones should carry the backup job against Tennessee, and Rourke and Martinez are the ones likely to absorb the rest of the preseason workload around him.
