Seattle Seahawks fans should be keeping a close eye on the quarterback situation in San Francisco. The 49ers are set to start Mac Jones for the second straight week as Brock Purdy deals with shoulder and toe injuries after the Seahawks terrorized him in Week 1.
Of course, Purdy himself still hasn’t convinced everyone with a pulse on the NFL scene that he’s really the franchise guy for the Seahawks’ Bay Area rival. While he performed admirably in the face of the Seahawks’ pressure in the season opener, sitting on the injured list with Jones lighting up the scoreboard isn’t doing him any favors.
In that respect, it’s not surprising that the 49ers tried to make it seem like Purdy might be back for Week 3, if seemingly for no other reason than to stave off the talk of a budding quarterback controversy. Keep in mind, it was originally reported that he would miss 2-5 games.
Seahawks fans relish as 49ers face a quarterback controversy they can’t escape
Of course, it’d be insincere to suggest that Purdy is only being rushed back by the team. He’s a competitor like any other player in the NFL, and if he feels he’s close to coming back, he’ll work that way on the practice field.
However, when the question “should you play an 80% healthy Purdy or a 100% Jones” begins to circulate, there’s a conversation to be had about the future of the position in San Francisco.
Sure, Purdy is the guy with the postseason success and a fat contract, but it’s not as though the 49ers, of all teams, aren’t above going with the guy that’s getting the job done. They did the same thing with Purdy over Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, after all.
In his first start for San Francisco, whom many expected to draft him in the first place back in 2021, Jones threw three touchdowns and led the 49ers to a win over the New Orleans Saints.
But that just points back to head coach Kyle Shanahan’s ability to get the most out of his quarterbacks. He has a long track record of getting the job done with guys nobody believes in, and while Purdy fits that mold better than most, Jones is in that same conversation.
Jones himself is a former first-rounder who played well as a rookie before eventually having to deal with Matt Patricia, a defensive coach, as his offensive play-caller. He was written off further when he went to Jacksonville, a franchise that has all but failed Trevor Lawrence in his development.
The book isn’t written on Jones’s career, and now that he’s in the Shanahan system, he may be ready to thrive if he has a prolonged chance to prove himself.
San Francisco doesn’t want to admit it, especially with their history of quarterback controversies, but there’s a real argument that if Purdy doesn’t come back and Jones continues to perform well, especially without George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk as receiving options, that a possible controversy becomes very real, very fast.
Of course, just like everything concerning Purdy, the circumstances dictate the narrative. After all, a win over the Saints isn’t something to write home about, and Purdy could be suited up this week as a backup or emergency option. If he’s healthy, he’ll be the guy.
But once he is, he’ll be back under a microscope, compared to Jones. Last week, Jones did something Purdy has never done in the NFL: drop back 45 times and throw three touchdowns with no interceptions.
Jones and the Niners face the Arizona Cardinals this week, a tougher defense, sure, but still a winnable game. If Jones shines again, it’ll only look more impressive and back up the argument that San Francisco doesn’t want to face.
Odds are, certainly, that San Francisco won’t bench Purdy if they don’t have to. But if his injury keeps him out of action and Jones capitalizes on what is likely his last real shot to be a starter in the NFL, then the 49ers will be faced with another difficult decision concerning the most important position in sports.