Brock Purdy has “enough time” to clear the concussion protocol for Sunday vs. Bengals

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy finds himself in the concussion protocol following his team’s loss to the Vikings on Monday night. However, there is hope that Purdy will be cleared to play in Sunday’s game against the Bengals, according to coach Kyle Shanahan.

Shanahan told reporters, “He does have enough time. Just, he’s got to go through the process.” It’s worth noting that coaches are technically not supposed to comment on players in the protocol, but the league has become more lenient in recent years, leading to more coaches making such remarks.

While it’s not impossible for Purdy to be cleared, it’s also not very likely. With only six days between games, multiple doctors will need to approve his return to play, which isn’t a common occurrence.

Shanahan explained that nothing seemed wrong with Purdy until the 49ers were flying back to San Francisco. “I don’t get to talk to him when I’m calling plays in,” Shanahan said. “But on the sidelines a couple of those series, nothing with [quarterbacks coach Brian] Griese hearing it. I know after the game he talked to you guys and [vice president of football communications] Corry [Rush], so it’s kind of a surprise when I woke up on the plane.”

During his post-game press conference, Purdy appeared to be fine despite a wicked shot to the head he took on a quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter. Shanahan suggested that the injury possibly occurred on one of the back-to-back sneaks, but they can’t be certain since Purdy didn’t start experiencing symptoms until the plane ride.

It’s peculiar that a concussion evaluation wasn’t mandatory considering the spotters’ responsibility to look for head trauma and potential injuries. The overhead shot of the first sneak clearly showed a significant blow to the head. At the very least, Purdy should have received a cursory check after the drive ended.

Perhaps he would have passed it, or maybe a trained professional would have noticed something that wasn’t obvious to the untrained eye.