EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- For the past three weeks, the San Francisco 49ers have been optimistic that quarterback Brock Purdy's right big toe will heal enough for him to return to his starting role.
But while Purdy has taken steps in the right direction, there's a real chance that even when he does return, he won't be 100%, coach Kyle Shanahan acknowledged after Sunday's 34-24 win against the New York Giants.
"We're trying to ease Brock out there in the practice stuff, but anytime you're dealing with his turf toe, it's something that probably won't fully go away all year regardless of when he comes back," Shanahan said. "He's going to always have to deal with a little bit. ... So it's really about just assessing when's the best time to come back that you have to deal with it the least. It's a little bit of a tricky decision."
Asked whether Purdy's toe will need surgery at some point, Shanahan added: "Not that I've been told."
For the past three weeks, Purdy has been a limited participant in the team's practices. Last week, Purdy was comfortable enough to begin taking reps with the top offense, though Shanahan classified the amount as "not a lot."
Still, entering Sunday's game against the Giants, Purdy was listed as questionable, the first time he hadn't been ruled out in advance of the game since aggravating the toe injury in a Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. As it turned out, Purdy was still a pregame inactive, and the Niners opted against using him as the emergency third quarterback behind Mac Jones and Adrian Martinez.
After the win, Shanahan said Purdy "wasn't that close" to being active after Purdy hurried back from the injury initially suffered in Week 1, then aggravated it after sitting out only two games.
"I just want to make sure he gets a 100% better and won't put him out there too early," Shanahan said. "[We] thought about it as a possible backup or emergency, but I think the more time we get the better."
Though Shanahan said the Niners would "reassess" Purdy's status for next week's showdown with the Los Angeles Rams in similar fashion to how the team operated last week, the Niners are clearly comfortable with Jones starting. Against the Giants on Sunday, Jones started 14-of-14 for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and finished 19-of-24 for 235 yards with two scores for a passer rating of 135.2. The 49ers are 5-2 in Jones' starts this season.
The 49ers, meanwhile, couldn't escape MetLife Stadium without another apparently significant injury. With 4:06 left, rookie defensive end Mykel Williams pressured Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart as he threw an incomplete pass to his right. But Williams stayed down after the play, immediately grabbing for his right knee and pounding his helmet and the turf in frustration.
Shanahan said after the game that the Niners are "worried" that Williams suffered a torn ACL. He will have further testing Monday, according to Shanahan, who said he briefly spoke to Williams in the locker room.
"He's just down and you never know," Shanahan said. "Hopefully it's not the worst, but if it is, hey that sucks for this year. But that's all it sucks for. You'll be back next year and this won't affect you at all."
A season-ending injury to the No. 11 pick in the draft would be another devastating blow to a 49ers team that has been ravaged by injuries all season. That's especially true on the defensive line where the Niners entered Sunday without ends Nick Bosa (right knee), Bryce Huff (hamstring) and Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring).
San Francisco is also without star linebacker Fred Warner (right ankle) with he, Bosa and Gross-Matos on injured reserve. Huff was expected to return next week against the Rams, but the Niners traded for defensive lineman Keion White last week and signed veteran Clelin Ferrell to the practice squad.
White and Ferrell played prominent roles against the Giants just days after signing, but Williams' injury might require the Niners to consider another trade before Tuesday's deadline.
"Injuries are a part of the game and everybody deals with it, but we have been bitten particularly hard by the injury bug," left tackle Trent Williams said. "We've been able to continue and fight past it. But who knows? You never know when that straw is just enough to break the camel's back. But obviously Mykel is a vital part of the defense and we are praying that it is not that, but if it is, it is still the next man of the league. Somebody got to go, line up and we are going to be dependent on him."