NFL analyst suggests 49ers should consider bold Mac Jones, Brock Purdy move

People associated with the San Francisco 49ers clearly want it known that a healthy Brock Purdy will resume serving as San Francisco's full-time starting quarterback, even though Mac Jones has thus far gone 3-0 in games that Purdy has missed because of a lingering toe injury. 

During a Tuesday appearance on San Francisco Bay Area sports radio station 95.7 The Game, well-known analyst and NFL Network personality Brian Baldinger said he doesn't "disagree" with those who think Jones should remain atop the 49ers' depth chart if he wins a fourth straight start. 

Why Brian Baldinger thinks 49ers could keep starting Mac Jones

"I believe in riding the hot hand," Baldinger explained, per Dan Dempster of NBC Sports Bay Area. "It just happens. You’re not trying to usurp somebody, but your job is to win as many games as you possibly can, however you do it. And you cannot be worried about any player egos or anything else. I mean, Mac’s playing great football right now, and so, I don’t know. I wouldn’t be in a hurry to make that change."

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan may not have to worry about making such a decision, as a previous report indicated that Purdy would remain sidelined through at least this coming Sunday's game between the 49ers (4-1) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1).

Meanwhile, Pro Football Reference stats show that Jones will enter Week 6 leading the NFL among qualified quarterbacks with 301.7 passing yards per game for the campaign. He's tied for 12th in the league among qualified players with a 66.9 adjusted QBR, and he tossed six touchdown passes with just one interception over his three outings. 

Could 49ers give Brock Purdy more time to recover?

"If [Purdy is] 95 percent, why put him out there? Like, why not, until you’re absolutely certain that he’s 100 percent? And if Mac wins a fourth game, against a very good Tampa team, then I would definitely leave him in at this point," Baldinger added during the segment. 

For a mailbag published on Tuesday, Vic Tafur of The Athletic insisted that the 49ers "don’t have a quarterback controversy just yet." One wonders if that could change by the time this Sunday's NFL action wraps up. As of Wednesday morning, ESPN BET had the 49ers as 2.5-point road underdogs against the Buccaneers.