San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Brock Purdy is putting 49ers' 'QB controversy' to bed

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Dec 23, 2025 2:10 PM ET

The San Francisco 49ers' "quarterback controversy" is over, though there never was one.

After 49ers starting QB Brock Purdy suffered turf toe in his right foot in a 17-13 Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks, backup QB Mac Jones replaced him. Purdy would return in a 26-21 Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars but reaggravated the injury, missing six more games.

Surprisingly, Jones acquitted himself well during Purdy's absence. He went 5-3 in eight starts, preventing the 49ers' season from nosediving. The former Alabama star played so well that some suggested the Niners should stick with him. That was silly.

Why would San Francisco bench Purdy after signing him to a five-year, $265M contract extension this offseason? More importantly, why sit him when he's showing why the organization rewarded him with that deal?

How Brock Purdy is putting an end to the "QB controversy"

Since returning from his injury in Week 11, Purdy has posted a stellar 110 passer rating and thrown for 1,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions (via StatMuse). Thanks to his fantastic play, the Niners are 11-4 and have a chance at clinching the NFC's No. 1 seed in the playoffs. If they win their remaining games against the Chicago Bears (11-4) and Seahawks (12-3), they'll do just that.

If Purdy keeps playing the way he did against the Indianapolis Colts (8-7) on "Monday Night Football," that would only improve the 49ers' chances of securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In the 48-27 win, he finished 25-of-34 passing for 295 yards, a season-high five touchdown passes and one interception.

FIVE TOUCHDOWNS FOR BROCK PURDY

He's the first 49ers QB to throw five pass TDs on MNF pic.twitter.com/H3wHSAZO0g
— ESPN (@espn) December 23, 2025

"You know, when you're in that huddle, right, there's only one voice speaking, right? And you've got 10 grown men staring at you," 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams said in a postgame news conference. "And you can't fool grown men, right? The confidence that he has in the huddle, no matter what phase of the game, those long play-calls, just getting everybody where they need to be, I mean, from A to Z, he does at a really high level.

"I say it all the time — he's a godsend man, for us to get him where we got him. Obviously, he's getting what he deserves now. But...he's still the same guy. Still the same guy from his rookie year. He's just a baller, man."

Consider chatter about a potential QB controversy in The City by The Bay silenced. Purdy (pick No. 262 of the 2022 NFL Draft) is clearly the guy for the Niners and may lead them to a Super Bowl appearance for the second time in his career.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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