Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa, Trent Williams uncertain vs Packers

SANTA CLARA — It’s time to stop referring to the 49ers’ 2024 season As a Super Bowl hangover.

Hangovers end.

With the 49ers potentially going into Lambeau Field in Green Bay Sunday with a 5-5 record Brock Purdy, Nick Bosa and Trent Williamsit’s clear a few aspirin and a quart of your favorite sports drink aren’t sufficient to fix what ails the defending 2023 NFC champions.

The 49ers need Purdy more than ever, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be healthy enough to play with an injured right shoulder. Purdy made a couple of light tosses to an assistant coach Thursday before adjourning to the fieldhouse and weight room and turning practice over to Brandon Allen, Josh Dobbs and Tanner Mordecai.

Meanwhile, in Green Bay, quarterback Jordan Love is feeling spry enough to take evasive action after battling through knee and groin injuries through 10 games. Those injuries, as well as throwing interceptions in eight straight games, have kept Love from ascending to the NFL’s elite and justifying the mega-deal which will pay him an average of $55 million per year.

Still, the Packers have won close games while the 49ers have lost them and appear playoff-bound. Love’s is the kind of deal Purdy is expected to get this offseason, although financial considerations have taken a back seat to a season that could go irreversibly south should the 49ers lose and fall to 5-6.

Bosa (both obliques) and Williams (ankle), pillars of the 49ers’ defensive and offensive lines, are far from locks to play Sunday, with Williams probably rating the better chance.

Purdy’s situation came more into focus when the 49ers scuttled his usual Thursday afternoon press conference with the local media. Purdy could take the podium Friday and maybe he’ll be fine. As a rookie, Purdy played on a Thursday night in Seattle with a fractured rib with no practice and the 49ers won. It went a long way toward proving to Shanahan that Purdy, and not Trey Lance, was the 49ers’ franchise quarterback.

Make no mistake, as good as Bosa and Williams are, the 49ers need Purdy to direct an offense in which Christian McCaffrey is rounding into form, Deebo Samuel has been willing but unable to be a game-breaker and Jauan Jennings has emerged as the only truly reliable every down receiver.

If there were any doubts about Purdy’s value to the franchise now and into the future, they were dispelled Wednesday when Shanahan evaluated the performance of his third-year quarterback.

Remember all the talk about how Purdy was a producer of his supporting cast? People seem to have come around to the idea that all Quarterbacks are either helped or hurt by their system of offense and teammates. Purdy’s numbers are still good but down a bit from last year, completing 66 percent of his passes (202 of 306) for 2,613 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Shanahan looks at it as a point guard stripped of his shooters.

“I think Brock’s playing at the exact same level,” Shanahan said. “I think there’s different circumstances around him. Our team hasn’t been quite as good through this, but it’s been close to getting there and close doesn’t matter. That’s why we’re 5-5.”

If Purdy’s passing numbers are down, his rushing numbers are up. His ability to scramble has produced 267 yards rushing and moved the chains for 26 first downs, although if he gets on the field Sunday he may be less likely to go off-schedule with a bum shoulder.

For the Packers, Love showed in a 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears he could do some damage on the move, a part of his game that was absent much of the season.

“I think we’re a really good offense regardless, but to be able to move around and make plays outside of the pocket and off-schedule is a big part of our offense,” Love told reporters.

Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said, “There is no defense for a scramble drill” and 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen conceded it’s a problem with Love.

“He’s a guy that’s always been able to move around,” Sorensen said. “He’ll duck his head and try and get a first down with his legs. But the way he can move around and still chuck it down the field to receivers that can go get it, it’s impressive.”