Brock Purdy Says Mac Jones Didn't 'Make It Weird' After Return to 49ers from Injury

Even though Brock Purdy received praise for how he played during the San Francisco 49ers' late-season surge to help them make the playoffs, they are in this position thanks in no small part to Mac Jones' performance when he was called into action.

Speaking to ESPN's Nick Wagoner about the dynamic in the quarterback room, Purdy praised Jones because he didn't "make it weird" after having success early in the season.

"For me to be able to see that and feel that in a real way, I'll always be appreciative of that," Purdy said. "Sometimes in this business you can make it weird. But he did not."

Purdy dealt with toe and shoulder injuries early in the season that kept him out for eight games. Jones stepped in and went 5-3 as the starter, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and a 69.6 completion percentage.

That stretch included a huge Week 5 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams that gave the 49ers a chance to play for the NFC West title and No. 1 seed in the playoffs going into Week 18.

Even though things didn't pan out for the Niners in the regular-season finale against the Seahawks, they still won 12 games despite not having their starting quarterback on the field for almost half of the season.

Purdy had some ups and downs when he was playing through the injuries, but he more than solidified his status as the best quarterback on their roster with how he played down the stretch.

During San Francisco's six game winning streak from Weeks 11-17, Purdy threw for 1,454 yards, 16 touchdowns and completed 70.7 percent of his attempts. He also ran for 96 yards and three scores.

Given how much time Purdy missed with injuries this season, the 49ers would seem likely to keep Jones in 2026 since he is under contract with a cap hit of just $3.98 million.

Of course, Jones' performance in his eight starts could make him an attractive trade candidate if the 49ers want to add a potential draft pick.

There are plenty of options for the Niners to consider in the offseason, but their next order of business will be trying to beat the Philadelphia Eagles when they take on the defending Super Bowl champs in the NFC Wild Card game on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.