After weeks of suspense regarding his health, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is back in the limelight, not only from his own camp but from football icons who have a great deal of regard for the long-term threat his injury poses. Purdy is battling turf toe, and former New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman served up a hair-on-fire cautionary tale, comparing Purdy’s issue to that which derailed the career of Hall of Fame Deion Sanders.

Edelman addressed FOX Sports’ pregame show before Purdy took the field against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4. “He’s gonna come in and he’s gonna be a different player,” Edelman replied. “People forget that turf toe retired the most athletic man, Deion Sanders. It is nothing to play around with.”

Edelman’s summoning of Deion Sanders wasn’t for show; it was experience. The Hall of Fame cornerback, whose lightning speed and unbeatable quickness were the stuff of legend, jammed his toe on the field in 1998 with the Dallas Cowboys. No matter how much effort he exerted in trying to regain his stride, Sanders never regained his footing. It was preceded by years of chronic pain and complications, resulting in two toe amputations.

That cautionary story remains more relevant today than ever to Purdy, as he played obviously hindered against Jacksonville, much the same way that Sanders struggled with getting to his burst following the injury.

Edelman’s words, thus, had cautioned. They proved to be prophetic. Purdy’s Week 4 outing spelled out the gravity of it, and why Edelman’s caution had struck so convincingly.

In Week 4, having played against the Jaguars in his return, his mobility was affected starting from the first series. The normally composed, accurate quarterback was rattled, completing 57.9% for 309 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

The biggest play was in the fourth quarter late when Purdy was strip-sacked on San Francisco’s last possession to seal a 27-21 defeat for San Francisco. Following the game, head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Purdy re-injured his toe. “He reaggravated it,” Shanahan explained. “He’s week to week. Don’t know how it will heal.”

Another MRI later revealed Edelman’s worst nightmare; the injury had worsened. Purdy is going to miss 2–5 weeks now.

Turf toe concluded or changed the careers of several star players besides Sanders’. Late former Titans MVP Steve McNair struggled with turf toe for almost two years, even limping into Super Bowl XXXIV wearing a protective boot. He then had surgery.

Davante Adams, a Packer then, got hurt in 2019 but did not have surgery and was still able to make the Pro Bowl and miss only four games. Patrick Mahomes played with turf toe through the Chiefs’ 2020 playoff season. Although he made it to Super Bowl LV, the injury did take a bit out of him, and he did have surgery shortly after.

Purdy’s path right now is somewhere in the middle, not quite as bad as it went for Sanders, but definitely worrisome for a quarterback who was counted on to drive San Francisco’s offense well into a playoff run. However, the 49ers’ injury list is not limited to Purdy.

49ers injury list beyond Purdy

Purdy’s turf toe took all of the attention, but he is not the only San Francisco 49ers’ health casualty. Backup quarterback Mac Jones, who replaced Purdy, had an excellent game against the Rams with injury ailments of his own. Jones threw 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns without tossing an interception in a 26-23 overtime victory.

But Jones himself appeared shaken after absorbing two crushing blows in the second half and overtime while playing through a nagging PCL injury. While he remained in the game, and made sure the 49ers crossed the line.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan provided a general injury report after Thursday’s victory over the Rams. Cornerback Upton Stout is recovering from an ankle sprain but escaped a high-ankle designation, remaining in position to play Week 6 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Breakout season defensive tackle Kalia Davis fractured his hand and will undergo surgery. The team will determine whether he can play in a protective wrap. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos also will miss due to a hamstring pull, and defensive end Alfred Collins, one of Week 5’s best defensive players, sprained a knee that will put him in jeopardy for Week 6.

The 49ers’ next game against Tampa Bay will be a test for them. Shanahan’s team has proved resilient before, but the rising cost in terms of injuries brings sharp questions regarding durability.