49ers HC Kyle Shanahan makes major decision for Week 11

Mac Jones has helped keep the San Francisco 49ers in the postseason hunt for the majority of the season, but he is officially headed back to the bench.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced on Thursday that Brock Purdy will start in the team's Week 11 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Purdy has practiced in a limited capacity this week, but Shanahan said on Wednesday that the goal was to have Purdy ramp up to the point where he felt comfortable returning to the starting lineup.

Purdy has not played since Week 4, when he re-aggravated a foot injury that he initially suffered in San Francisco's first game of the season.

Mac Jones has been outstanding for the 49ers

Jones has played much better than expected while filling in for Purdy. The former first-round pick has gone 5-3 in eight starts and has a passer rating of 97.4. He has completed 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Jones has played so well that some wondered whether Shanahan would stick with him when Purdy was ready to return. Shanahan has consistently dismissed the idea, and we now have confirmation that the starting job still belongs to Purdy.

Brock Purdy is looking to live up to his contract

Purdy signed a five-year, $265M contract extension with the 49ers in May. He struggled to protect the ball in his two starts this season and had two interceptions in each game, so he will be looking to clean that up now that he is ready to return.

The 49ers have full confidence in Purdy, who led them to the Super Bowl two seasons ago. The former seventh-round draft pick's numbers dipped a bit last season from his MVP-caliber campaign in 2023, but that did not deter the Niners from making him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.

At the very least, the 49ers now know they have a capable backup who can excel in their offense. Purdy has been dealing with the type of injury that tends to linger, so that is a huge asset for Shanahan's team to have.