Turf toe.
Sounds kind of benign, doesn’t it? Like a hangnail or something. But it’s not, and for any athlete that has suffered from turf toe they will tell you how debilitating it is. This week, turf toe has sidelined the San Francisco 49ers most expensive off-season signing, quarterback Brock Purdy.
Up until Wednesday the media in the Bay Area was still thinking the 49ers fourth-year signal caller would be able to go on Sunday when the 49ers meet the New Orleans Saints in the Big Easy. San Francisco Head Coach Kyle Shanahan, who is more forthright and honest than most NFL coaches, didn’t offer much hope of Purdy being available for this week’s game at his Wednesday afternoon press conference.
Then, on Thursday morning, the more dire projections on Purdy’s health were confirmed that he will not only miss Sunday’s contest but could be sidelined with the injury for as many as four games.
The point spread dropped on the 49ers favorite role in New Orleans on that news. San Francisco had opened as a 7-point choice on a line set before the season began, which was reduced to 6½ points at the beginning of this week and has now dropped to the 49ers favorite by only a field goal.
It is as if the injuries to a pair of important offensive cogs in San Francisco’s arsenal, Purdy and tightend George Kittle, who were both available when the 49ers kicked off their season last week with a win over the Seattle Seahawks and will be missing this week, cut the spread in half and the perceived chances of a 49ers road win.