Ridiculous theory about 49ers' Mac Jones, Brock Purdy shot down

Perhaps the biggest overreaction coming off Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season involved some outsiders actually wondering if Mac Jones could play well enough to replace a healthy Brock Purdy as the San Francisco 49ers' full-time starting quarterback. 

For a piece published Tuesday, 49ers insider Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area reminded everybody that Purdy will be back atop the San Francisco depth chart once he recovers from the left shoulder and toe injuries that kept him out of the team's 26-21 victory over the New Orleans Saints this past Sunday. 

The San Francisco 49ers made their feelings about Brock Purdy clear during offseason

"The 49ers signed Brock Purdy in the offseason to a five-year, $265M extension that includes $100M of fully guaranteed money," Maiocco wrote. "Mac Jones is on a two-year, $7.3M contract. The only way Jones will get on the field during his time with the 49ers is if Purdy has an issue that renders him unavailable. Jones might not be the best backup quarterback in the NFL, but he is the best fit for the 49ers in that role."

Critics of Purdy labeled him as a game manager long before the 2024 49ers finished the season with a record of 6-11 and before he completed 26-of-35 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions while banged up in San Francisco's 17-13 Week 1 win at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 7. To compare, Jones connected on 26-of-39 pass attempts for 279 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions versus the Saints.

According to David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested during a Monday appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" that Purdy will remain sidelined through this coming Sunday's home game versus the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals. Additionally, Breer thinks Purdy could be back in the lineup for San Francisco's Week 4 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1). 

No buyer’s remorse regarding Brock Purdy deal 

"The 49ers are not experiencing any buyer’s remorse," Maiocco added about the Purdy extension. "They made the right moves in the offseason with Purdy and Jones because their backup showed he can keep the team on track when he is called upon."

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan can feel confident about starting Jones against the unbeaten Cardinals following the events of Week 2. That said, it sounds like the only way Purdy won't play against Jacksonville is if he is still slowed by his bad toe late next week.