SANTA CLARA — No Brock Purdy. No Nick Bosa. No chance for the 49ers on Sunday in Green Bay?
“We’re missing two good players definitely but we’ll have a lot of good players out there,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan countered. “By no means do we not have a chance to win. We’ll fight our tails off. We expect a real good game.”
Purdy’s throwing-shoulder soreness will force him to miss his first game due to injury since becoming the 49ers’ starting quarterback nearly two years ago, and that thrusts ninth-year journeyman Brandon Allen into his 10th career start and first since 2021 with Cincinnati.
Bosa’s oblique and hip injuries will sideline him for his first game of this wobbly season. Also ruled out were cornerback Charvarius Ward (personal), return specialist Jacob Cowing (concussion), defensive tackle Kevin Givens (groin) and linebacker Tatum Bethune (knee), while left tackle Trent Williams (ankle) is questionable as a game-time decision for a second straight game.
Tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) are good to go for an offense that must make due without Purdy at the NFL’s most historic venue.
Allen went to Lambeau Field once, as a 2019 Denver Broncos backup, and he’s been to every NFL stadium in his career except Carolina’s. But he hasn’t played much football throughout that career, with 10 touchdown passes among 263 passes, the last of which came in 2022 as Joe Burrow’s backup in Cincinnati.
“It’s an opportunity,” Allen said. “The circumstances are what they are. Our team all year long, we’ve been dealing with injuries here or there. It’s been a big next-man-up mentality. It’s definitely an opportunity for me to go out, play well, put our guys in a good position to win the game.
“Obviously we want Brock back and healthy and all that,” Allen added. “For the time being, it is an opportunity for me.”
Josh Dobbs, who lost out to Allen in training camp and the preseason for the QB2 role, will serve in that capacity Sunday at Lambeau Field, where he also has never played a regular-season game. Rookie Tanner Mordecai likely will be elevated from the practice squad Saturday to serve as the emergency No. 3 quarterback.
Purdy wore a resigned, dour expression but offered upbeat words as he walked through the locker room, saying: “We’re all good.”
This is not how coach Kyle Shanahan scripted it earlier in the week.
“(Purdy) got the MRI on Monday, we thought he just needed some rest and really weren’t concerned about not being there this week,” Shanahan said Friday.
Purdy rested his arm Wednesday then left the practice field Thursday after a few light throws.
“It surprised him, surprised us how it felt, so we had to shut him down,” Shanahan said. “The MRI doesn’t look like (it’s serious) so it should be alright. But the way it responded this week, it’s really up in the air for next week. We’ll have to see on Monday.”
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The 49ers follow this week’s road trip at Green Bay with a prime-time appearance next Sunday, Dec. 1 in Buffalo.
“I know this is like the first time Brock’s missed a game probably in his life,” Allen said. “He’s a tough guy and I’m not too worried about it. I don’t think any of our guys are. He’ll rehab and get back as fast as he can.”
No one is saying when Purdy got hurt in Sunday’s 20-17 loss to Seattle, whether it was from diving for the goal line on his first-quarter touchdown scramble or later in the game. Shanahan did note that Purdy struggled to keep his shoulder loose and threw on the sideline, then the pain intensified after the game and into Monday.
“It was somewhere during that Seattle game and I’m not sure Brock knows,” general manager John Lynch said on KNBR. “He fought through it through the course of the game. I did see him during the course of the game, anytime there was a pause, he kept throwing. At that point, you’re feeling something but he was so focused on trying to win.”
