The San Francisco 49ers on Thursday before their showdown with the Los Angeles Rams made a slew of roster moves that may portend bad news for quarterback Brock Purdy’s long-term prognosis.
Among those moves was a promotion for quarterback Adrian Martinez from the practice squad to the active roster. Defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson was waived in a corresponding move. Martinez has twice served as the backup quarterback this season when Purdy was out for Weeks 2 and 3. With Purdy out again in Week 5 because of an aggravation of the toe injury that cost him the pair of games earlier in the season, it isn’t a surprise Martinez was brought up from the practice squad.
However, Martinez was a standard practice squad elevation the first two times he came up. By making him a member of the 53-man roster the team could be signaling that Purdy’s toe injury may be an issue that plagues him for more than just Week 5. Martinez is only eligible to be elevated three times before he needs to be added to the roster.
Perhaps this is a matter of necessity for San Francisco with injuries at other positions. By promoting Martinez, they kept both of their standard practice squad elevations clear for Week 5. They used those two moves to bring up defensive end Trevis Gipson and wide receiver Malik Turner.
Turner gives San Francisco depth at wide receiver where Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings and rookie Jordan Watkins are all out for Thursday night’s game. Gipson, who put together a strong preseason showing, provides depth at defensive end after Robert Beal Jr. went down with an ankle injury in Week 4.
To round out their Week 5 moves, the 49ers filled their newly-opened practice squad spot by re-signing rookie defensive back Derrick Canteen who spent the offseason with San Francisco after going unselected in this year’s draft.
It’ll be worth keeping an eye on the 49ers’ roster moves in their extra time off between Weeks 5 and 6. If they keep Martinez as a third QB throughout the mini bye, it may be a sign that Purdy’s availability is still in question for at least the short term.
San Francisco kicks off against the Rams at SoFi Stadium at 5:15pm Pacific Time on Thursday. In Week 6 they travel to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers.
More 49ers: Former 49ers TE, two-time Pro Bowler launches new podcast
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers Week 5 roster moves could be bad news for Brock Purdy long-term
