The San Francisco 49ers came into Week 18 with a chance to win the NFC West and earn the No. 1 seed of the NFC in the playoffs. The 49ers exited the week battered and bruised, especially quarterback Brock Purdy.
While the starting quarterback was able to finish the game on the sideline, he was slow to get up as San Francisco's final drive came to an end. He got obliterated by two Seattle Seahawks defenders and was writhing on the ground. This was just after the broadcast showed that Purdy's thumb was bleeding after he hit it on a defender's helmet earlier in the game.
Purdy was sacked only three times, but the Seattle defense made sure he was very familiar with their presence. In the 13-3 loss, the QB finished with just 127 yards with an interception. Now, San Francisco turns its attention to the playoffs and will go on the road in the wild-card round. The biggest question is whether or not Purdy will be able to suit up with or be at his best ahead of a huge game.
Here are the latest injury updates for Purdy after the big hit he took at the end of the 49ers' Week 18 loss to the Seahawks.
MORE WEEK 18 NFL:
Brock Purdy injury updates
After the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan said that Purdy suffered a "stinger" and that the quarterback would be okay. It did look like the QB had the wind knocked out of him with the hit, but it will be worth monitoring his practice status this week ahead of a win-or-go-home wild-card matchup on the road.
Kyle Shanahan said Brock Purdy suffered a stinger on that final offensive play and that he's ok.
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) January 4, 2026
Shanahan added that even though Purdy went into the blue medical tent briefly, that the QB could have gone back in the game if San Francisco got the ball back. Shanahan didn't mention Purdy's thumb that he hit on a defender's helmet and that was seen bleeding toward the end of the game.
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What happened to Brock Purdy?
The Seattle defense is close to re-capturing its Legion of Boom dominance. Purdy was on the wrong side of a huge hit where he got sandwiched by two defenders. He initially got speared in the back and then that forced his hand to hit another defender's helmet. That second defender then hit him back into the first defender in what looked like an awful hit for Purdy to take and caused him to be slow to get up.
Here’s that Brock Purdy hit. Pic.twitter.com/aEQxo0vnUz
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) January 4, 2026
And here’s his bloody thumb. Pic.twitter.com/AuYo1aiKrr
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) January 4, 2026
49ers QB depth chart
| Position | Player |
| 1 | Brock Purdy |
| 2 | Mac Jones |
| 3 | Adrian Martinez (practice squad) |
If Purdy is healthy, he is going to start for the 49ers. He had an uncharacteristically bad game in the Week 18 loss to the 49ers, but Shanahan believes that a healthy Purdy still gives his team the best chance to win.
Earlier in the 2025 season, Purdy missed eight games due to two different toe turf injuries. When he was sidelined, Jones stepped up and into the starting role. He went 5-3 in relief, and his career resurgence in San Francisco this season is part of what helped the 49ers stay afloat early in the season, and helped keep them in the spot they are in now.
Martinez will serve as the emergency third quarterback for the 49ers unless Purdy or Jones are ruled out with an injury and then he would be promoted to the backup quarterback.
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