Divisional bragging rights will be on the line when the San Francisco 49ers visit the Los Angeles Rams for Week 5's Thursday Night Football showdown. The NFC West rivals are currently tied atop the division — along with the Seattle Seahawks — with matching 3-1 records, highlighting how important a TNF win would be to set the tone for the rest of the season.
As much as San Francisco fans would love to beat the rival franchise, winning will be easier said than done at SoFi Stadium. The 49ers' offense will be incredibly shorthanded when they take on the Rams, as quarterback Brock Purdy (toe), as well as wideouts Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ankle, ribs), have been ruled out for Week 5, per The Athletic's Matt Barrows.
49ers Will Be Without 3 Key Players vs. Rams in Week 5 TNF
Missing only one member of that trio would be bad enough, but being without all three puts San Francisco's offense in a tough spot, as injuries have been piling up on that side of the ball. Star tight end George Kittle landed on the injured reserve after injuring his hamstring in the season opener against the Seahawks. In addition, veteran WR Brandon Aiyuk has yet to make his 2025 debut after tearing his ACL and MCL last October.
The 49ers' short turnaround between games might factor into the trio's Week 5 absence, but that doesn't change the fact that replacing their production won't be easy. Pearsall currently leads San Francisco with 305 receiving yards through four games, while Jennings was projected to be the WR1 with Aiyuk sidelined and Deebo Samuel traded in the offseason. Their absence pushes the likes of Kendrick Bourne, Demarcus Robinson, and Skyy Moore up a spot on the depth chart.
The silver lining here is that Mac Jones is one of the NFL's better backup QBs and has already proven that he can handle lead duties in Purdy's absence. Jones led the 49ers to back-to-back wins over the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals in Weeks 2 and 3, completing 66.3% of passes for 563 passing yards to go along with four touchdowns to just one interception, to give him a 98.1 passer rating.
And from the sound of things, Jones is ready to face the Rams.
"It's going to be a challenge and (I've) been impressed with them," Jones said on Wednesday morning (h/t @Coach_Yac). "Can't wait to go against them."
The odds might not be on the 49ers' side, but anything can happen in the NFL. Expect Jones and the rest of San Francisco's offense to do whatever it takes to steal the divisional spotlight back from L.A. on Thursday night.