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"I want to play a number of them (the starters)," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters after Friday's practice. "I won't say all of them, but I'd like to get a lot of them in there for at least a little bit."
Shanahan mentioned wanting to get through the last three practices before finalizing a plan for the starters. However, he avoided sharing too many details, as he had not yet discussed the plan with his players.
"You guys will see some ones, most likely," Shanahan added.
This likely includes Purdy, the third-year quarterback coming off a 2023 campaign in which he set a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards.
When asked what he hopes to gain from playing on Sunday, Purdy said, "For me, just to be able to get into a rhythm, obviously going into the game, studying and preparing like it's any other game. So, getting in that kind of mindset, warming up, and then getting out there and getting clean looks. How can I be efficient with my feet, and in rhythm, and hitting guys, and getting completions? So, just feeling the game environment. It's a little bit different from practice."
Several starters, including running back Christian McCaffrey (calf) and offensive lineman Spencer Burford (hand), won't suit up against the Saints due to injuries. Burford's absence has given rookie Dominick Puni an opportunity to earn the starting spot for Week 1.
The 49ers have one more preseason game after this weekend. They travel to Las Vegas to play the Raiders on Friday, August 23. After that, the real work begins as San Francisco prepares for its regular-season primetime opener against the New York Jets.
