49ers' Mac Jones makes feelings on potential Brock Purdy QB controversy clear

For at least the second time since September, speculation has arisen about Mac Jones possibly replacing the healthy Brock Purdy as the San Francisco 49ers' full-time starting quarterback. 

Jones produced a gutsy performance en route to guiding the club to an impressive 26-23 overtime victory at the Los Angeles Rams (3-2) on Thursday night. Following the win, Jones did his best to dismiss such chatter. 

Mac Jones declares Brock Purdy 49ers' full-time starting QB

"I think, you know, they brought me here to play as a backup and that's my job," Jones explained, per NFL.com's Grant Gordon. "Brock's the starter of this team, and right now he's dealing with something. For him to go out there last week and play, when you know, he probably wasn't at full health, like, he cares about this team. So, I'm just trying to get some wins for him, so it helps us down the line. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. Like, I've been in his position. I've been a starter, and you want your backup to go in there and win because at the end of the season, that could be the hit or miss between a playoff or not."

Jones was referring to how Purdy reaggravated his previously injured toe in San Francisco's 26-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4. Discussions about which quarterback should start when the 4-1 49ers play at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) on Oct. 12 could prove to be silly, as a Thursday report indicated Purdy may be sidelined through then. 

As for Jones, he's dealing with a lingering PCL injury and cramping in his forearm, but still managed a 49ers win in his third start of the season. In total, he completed 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams. 

Why 49ers felt disrespected ahead of Rams game

As of early Thursday evening, ESPN BET had the 49ers listed as 8.5-point underdogs, as they were missing multiple starters due to injuries. Following Thursday's result, Jones shared that San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan used that information as bulletin-board material. 

"I don't really pay attention too much to it," Jones said. "Kyle came up to me, and he was p----- about it. He's like, 'Dude, I can't believe they moved us to underdogs again,' or like more [extreme underdogs] or whatever. And I'm like, 'I don't know what that means really, [but] like, yeah, let's go kill them.' He was p----- about it. I was like, 'Yeah, I'm p-----, too.'"

An angry and motivated Jones proved to be a positive for the 49ers, who needed a fill-in offensive CEO on Thursday. It sounds like Jones will once again be in the San Francisco lineup at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium in Week 6.