Is Brock Purdy playing today? Exploring 49ers QB's status for Week 14 game vs. Bears

The San Francisco 49ers are a little lacking in both offense and defense going into their crucial Week 14 game against the Chicago Bears. They lost wideout Brandon Aiyuk and running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason to season-ending injuries.

In Week 12, Brock Purdy, the team's starting quarterback, was also unavailable against the Green Bay Packers because of a right shoulder injury he sustained the week prior against the Seattle Seahawks. However, he made a comeback to the field during last week's defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.

The Niners must overcome the Bears on Sunday in order to preserve their slim hopes of qualifying for the playoffs this season, since they currently have a 5-7 record. To do that, they will need their QB1 playing at his best.

Exploring Brock Purdy's availability for Week 14

Brock Purdy has appeared on the San Francisco 49ers' injury report this week, but he's currently not at risk of missing out against the Chicago Bears.

The star quarterback did not appear to suffer any recurrence of his shoulder injury when he played against the Bills last week. He has also participated in two full practices this week, so if he doesn't have any injury setbacks, he should be ready to play on Sunday.

Purdy finished last week's 35-10 loss to Buffalo with 11 completed passes for 94 yards and two rushes for 4 yards.

While Purdy is expected to play Sunday, it's unlikely he will have offensive tackle Trent Williams blocking his blindside in that game. Williams is still recovering from an ankle injury, so he hasn't practiced this week.

In addition to Williams, defensive end Nick Bosa is also likely to be sidelined for the Niners' game against Chicago due to a hip/oblique ailment.

How has Brock Purdy performed this season?

Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers were anticipated to contend again for the championship this season after falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII. However, following three straight defeats to the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, they have faltered to a 5-7 record.

This season, the 24-year-old quarterback has struggled to replicate the incredible form he displayed last season, having completed 213 passes from 324 attempts, for 2,707 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions while posting an average 94.8 passer rating. A year ago, he threw for 30 touchdowns and placed fourth in the MVP voting.

The fact that Brock Purdy has been forced to play without several of his primary offensive weapons this season is a good excuse for his struggles. However, given that he is currently in the third year of his rookie contract and is expecting a new one, this poor season came at a bad time for him.