The San Francisco 49ers will have to navigate at least one more game without two of their best offensive players, as wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and quarterback Brock Purdy have both been ruled out for Week 8.
Purdy continues to work his way back from a toe injury that has sidelined him for four straight games now, and six games in total this season. Meanwhile, Pearsall has also missed the last four games because of a knee injury.
Purdy has shown signs of progress in recent weeks after practicing on a limited basis, but no such good news has come for Pearsall, who hasn't logged a single practice since his injury.
Here's what we know about their respective chances of returning in Week 9.
Will Brock Purdy return in Week 9?
Reports suggested Purdy would return this week, but that never came to fruition.
The San Francisco Standard's David Lombardi reported during the week that Purdy showed more progress by going through "his most grueling warmup exercises we've seen yet."
And, based on video from Niners practice, Purdy looked to be moving well in his limited work, so that's more positive news for him.
That said, there is no clear answer for Purdy's Week 9 status.
The Niners have the luxury of continuing to take their time with Purdy given the fact that Mac Jones has played well in his absence. Therefore, we wouldn't be shocked to see the Niners quarterback sit out another game.
If that happens, the next time we could see Purdy is in Week 10.
Will Ricky Pearsall return in Week 9?
As was the case with Purdy, it was reported that Pearsall was expected back in Week 8, but clearly that wasn't accurate.
The fact that Pearsall didn't go on injured reserve and still missed four games hints that his recovery hasn't gone as smoothly as the Niners hoped it would and it's possible he suffered a setback.
Given that and the fact that Pearsall didn't squeeze in a single practice this past week, we would say the young wide receiver is highly questionable for Week 9.
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