Brock Purdy Beats The Odds, Will Start For 49ers Against Bengals On Sunday

San Francisco 49ers fans rejoice: Brock Purdy will start on Sunday.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Niners quarterback has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and is all set to go for the Week 8 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Purdy is the first NFL player this season who has played the same week that he went into concussion protocol. The last player to clear protocol that quickly was Pittsburgh Steelers QB Kenny Pickett in 2022.

While Purdy was a full participant in Friday's walkthrough, he hadn't participated in practice all week. And he's looking to rebound from a couple of less-than-impressive showings.

In the past two games, the 23 year old's completion percentage was 57.9, his TD-INT ratio was 2-3 and his passer rating was 69.1. He was an absolute liability, and the 49ers took an L in both games.

Quite a difference from the season's first five games, when Purdy was on fire. In that span, his completion percentage was 67.9, his TD-INT ratio was 9-0 and his passer rating was 123.1. On top of that, the 49ers were undefeated, and talking heads were already handing them the Lombardi Trophy.

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Brock Purdy and the Niners hope to return to form at home this week against Cincinnati.

The 2022 Mr. Irrelevant will face a Bengals defense that has allowed a passer rating of just 79.7 this season. The Cincy D has also racked up an impressive 19 sacks and eight picks through six games.

If Purdy wins in his speedy return from concussion, he's a hero. If he loses a third game in a row, though, he could lose his job during the bye week. Sam Darnold is waiting in the wings.

No pressure, kid.

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