SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Brock Purdy will be back in the lineup Sunday in Buffalo, but he won’t have his usual collection of blockers in front of him.
Left tackle Trent Williams, who missed the recent game against the Green Bay Packers with what he’s described as a bone bruise on his heel, also will be out for the Buffalo Bills game. Meanwhile, the player who lines up next to him, left guard Aaron Banks, didn’t practice at all this week and remains in the concussion protocol.
Jaylon Moore, who got high marks against the Packers, will start at left tackle for the second straight week while Ben Bartch is the top candidate to start at left guard. If that’s the case on Sunday, it would be Bartch’s first-ever start for the 49ers.
After a very light practice on Wednesday, Purdy threw more aggressively on Thursday and was full go in Friday’s practice. He’s officially listed as questionable for the game, though coach Kyle Shanahan said the plan is for Purdy to start on Sunday.
“Lots of things can happen between now and then, but right now he’s playing,” Shanahan said.
Unlike last Friday, Brock Purdy is throwing today. What’s more, Brandon Allen is in a scout-teamer-of-week jersey, suggesting he’s not the starter. pic.twitter.com/KQVwFjjIDA
— Matt Barrows (@mattbarrows) November 29, 2024
On defense, the team will be without defensive end Nick Bosa for the second straight week and also will be missing cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, who banged knees with a Packers player on Sunday and didn’t practice this week. Shanahan said Lenoir is dealing with a bruised knee but doesn’t have any ligament damage.
The 49ers could see the return of cornerback Charvarius Ward, who hasn’t played since his daughter’s sudden passing last month but who practiced in full during the week.
If Ward plays, he could start opposite rookie Renardo Green (neck, questionable) with Isaac Yiadom and Rock Ya-Sin serving as the third and fourth cornerbacks.
Bosa (hip/oblique) said earlier in the week that he felt better than he did heading into the Packers game but that he needed to make more progress to be able to suit up in Buffalo. The 49ers also will be without one defensive tackle, Jordan Elliott (concussion), but likely will have another, Kevin Givens (groin), back for this game.
Shanahan said the 49ers are not quite ready to activate Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) from injured reserve. Greenlaw has been a limited participant in practice this week.
Asked when Greenlaw could return to the playing field, Shanahan noted that next week’s game against the Chicago Bears is followed by a Thursday game against the Los Angeles Rams and that the quick turnaround might be tough for a player who’s been out as long as Greenlaw. That is, the Rams game seems more realistic than the Bears game for Greenlaw’s return.
(Photo: Lachlan Cunningham / Getty Images)
