The Case for Mac Jones to Replace Brock Purdy as 49ers' QB1

A full-on quarterback controversy might not be brewing for the San Francisco 49ers, but after picking up his third win of the season, backup Mac Jones has certainly taken control of the conversation.

Would the 49ers really consider riding the hot hand and sticking with Jones over Brock Purdy when and if both are healthy this season? For most franchises, that would be an absurd question. Purdy just signed a five-year, $265 million contract in the offseason and has already helped guide San Francisco to two NFC title games and a Super Bowl.

Jones has made three starts for the 49ers.

However, we are talking about a franchise that invested three first-round picks and more in Trey Lance, then, pivoted to Purdy after seeing him for less than a full season.

While it's silly to think about another stunning quarterback change in San Francisco, it's worth considering the reasons it'll continue to be a talking point for as long as Jones continues to win games.

Jones Has Outplayed Purdy This Season

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Mac Jones, foreground, and Brock Purdy, left, walk on the field during practice at NFL football minicamp on June 10

To be fair, neither quarterback has been 100 percent healthy this season. Jones has dealt with a knee injury, while Purdy is dealing with a toe injury and has "no timetable" for a return, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The 49ers—and their fans—may get an extended look at Jones, even if they don't want it.

Based on what we've seen through five weeks, though, Jones has looked like the better quarterback. He's averaged more passing yards per game, has thrown just one interception to Purdy's four, and has a passer rating that is 13.3 points higher than Purdy's.

Most importantly, Jones is undefeated. He just went head-to-head with Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams and gutted out a victory. He threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns while doing it.

The NFL is a results-based league, and right now, Jones is getting better results than Purdy. That may quickly change as opponents get more film on him operating in Kyle Shanahan's offense, but it's the results that have even sparked a QB discussion.

Jones Has Performed Well With an Injured Supporting Cast

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Jake Brendel (64) waits to snap the ball to quarterback Mac Jones on Sept. 14

Back in the early offseason, when the 49ers were still pondering an extension for Purdy, the general argument against signing him involved San Francisco's supporting cast.

It was relatively easy to find folks arguing that Purdy's success was a product of playing with the likes of George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey. It wasn't hard to notice that when the 49ers' skill group took a hit last season, so did Purdy.

"Purdy appeared to be exposed as his rate-based numbers sank dramatically with less support as a result of injuries to his supporting cast in 2024," Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon wrote in July.

Anyone could come in and run Shanahan's QB-friendly offense with San Francisco's elite supporting cast, right? Well, maybe, but that's not what Jones has done.

While Christian McCaffrey has been healthy this season, Kittle has been out since Week 1. Aiyuk is still recovering from last year's knee injury, and Samuel is a member of the Washington Commanders. On Thursday, Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings were both out.

Against the Rams, we saw Jones repeatedly make big-time throws to the likes of Kendrick Bourne, Jake Tonges and Demarcus Robinson.

Over his last two starts, Jones has helped deliver an overtime win and a game-winning field goal as time expired. He's come up big in the biggest moments and has done it with a decidedly average supporting cast.

Regardless of how you feel about the "Purdy-is-a-game-manager" narrative, it's hard to argue that the 49ers have carried Jones.

Jones Appears to Be a Perfect Fit for Shanahan's Offense and This Team

AP Photo/Butch Dill

Mac Jones talks with Kyle Shanahan during a game against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 14

Now, one can argue that Jones has benefited from playing in Shanahan's offense, and it's hard to argue against that. Shanahan uses a spacing-based scheme that often leads to wide-open receivers and easy reads.

While that scheme can make it easier for quarterbacks to deliver big plays, it still requires great pre- and post-snap recognition. If any signal-caller could operate Shanahan's offense at a high level, the 49ers would probably still have Jimmy Garoppolo or Lance behind center.

Jones, though, is a high-end distributor and has been since his time at Alabama.

"While you can knock Jones for being a benefactor of his situation, you also have to credit him for operating the offense with maximum precision," Nate Tice wrote for the Bleacher Report Scouting Department back in 2021.

Jones has the arm strength, athleticism and size—he's roughly two inches taller than Purdy—to perfectly mesh with Shanahan's offense. His toughness, which was on full display against L.A., perfectly fits the 49ers' physical identity.

Jones' play style has earned the support of his teammates.

"We always know Mac's going to let it fly," Tonges said, per The Athletic's Vic Tafur. "He's been doing that since Day 1 of training camp, and that's what we love about him."

Now, none of this is meant to suggest that Purdy isn't also a terrific fit for the 49ers—we've already seen him go throw-for-throw with Patrick Mahomes in a Super Bowl. If the 49ers were to move off of Purdy for Jones, though, there's little reason to think it couldn't work.

Jones Has a Great Combination of Experience and Youth

AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh

Mac Jones

When Purdy's impressive play as a rookie ignited San Francisco's last QB controversy, it was easier to write it off as a fluke. He was, after all, an unproven seventh-round pick out of Iowa State. He's since proved that he belongs as an NFL starter, of course, but he was largely an unknown commodity at the time.

Jones is not a walking question mark. He's a former first-round pick from a marquee college program that now has one Pro Bowl and 52 starts on his NFL resume. While Jones often struggled after his stellar rookie season with the New England Patriots, he wasn't exactly in a great situation.

Last season, Jones served as a backup and spot-starter for the Jacksonville Jaguars. While he only won two games in seven starts, it's worth noting that Trevor Lawrence went 2-8 with the same group.

Jones could very well be on the cusp of an NFL redemption similar to the recent ones we've seen from Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. Like those two, Jones is still young enough to become a franchise's long-term answer at quarterback.

In fact, the 27-year-old is less than 16 months older than Purdy. If the 49ers did decide that Jones gives them their best chance to win long-term, it wouldn't impact the team's quarterback timeline.

The 49ers Could Probably Get a Big Trade Return for Purdy

AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

Brock Purdy

Moving off of Purdy and to Jones permanently would have massive financial implications because of his extension. That's one of the two biggest reasons why the 49ers probably won't even consider a quarterback change.

The other? Purdy's contract includes a full no-trade clause. Convincing him to waive it could be very difficult, and San Francisco isn't going to pay him $53 million annually to hold a clipboard.

Hypothetically, though, a trade would be feasible. Because of how Purdy's contract is structured—certain guarantees won't kick in until future years—the 49ers would have to eat less dead money to trade him now than in 2026.

By trading Purdy before the November 4 deadline, San Francisco could actually save $1.1 million in cap space while taking an $8 million dead-cap hit this year and a $32 million dead-cap hit in 2026. Trading him after June 1 would save $9.2 million in 2026 cap space while triggering dead-cap hits of $30.9 million and $54.2 million in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

If the 49ers were to put Purdy on the trade market, they could expect a sizeable return. He's a proven starter who has played in a Super Bowl and who is still just 25 years old. Other teams may be wary of paying Purdy $53 million per year, but having him under contract through 2030 would be a positive.

Teams do silly things in their pursuit of a franchise quarterback, and a desperate one might offer multiple first-round picks to pry Purdy away from San Francisco—again, getting Purdy to agree to a deal would be another challenge.

A significant trade package could help the 49ers continue the roster retooling they began this offseason. Of course, it would also require eating a sizeable chunk of dead money and, eventually, spending big to lock up Jones, who is on a two-year, $8.4 million deal.

Realistically, returning to Purdy when he's healthy, letting Jones reestablish himself in the interim and then flipping Jones for picks in the offseason would be the smarter play for San Francisco.