Mac Jones has played extremely well for the San Francisco 49ers since Brock Purdy went down with a foot injury, but it does not sound like there is going to be any type of quarterback controversy when Purdy is ready to return.
Jones had another excellent game statistically in San Francisco’s 42-26 Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The former first-round pick went 33/39 for 319 yards, 3 touchdowns and an interception. Jones is now 5-3 as a starter this season and has kept the 49ers in the postseason hunt.
During the NFL on FOX pregame show Sunday, Tom Brady surprised some people when he said he believes the Niners should stick with Jones even when Purdy is ready to return. When asked about that on Wednesday, Shanahan made it clear that Purdy remains the team’s starter.
“It’s not a hard decision. It’s just more about Brock’s health,” Shanahan said. “It’s been awesome how Mac’s played. He’s been great, but we’ve got a lot of confidence in Brock and we know Brock will play at a high level, too, as long as he’s healthy.”
Purdy has been limited in practice leading up to San Francisco’s Week 11 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Shanahan said the hope is that the former seventh-round pick can progress to the point where he can start that game.
“If he (Purdy) takes a big step forward this week, like he did last week, then he should have a good chance to play (Sunday).”
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) November 12, 2025
Kyle Shanahan gives an update on Brock Purdy pic.twitter.com/X9yFLpNueO
Purdy has played in just two games this season because of his lingering foot injury. He first suffered the injury in Week 1 and then re-aggravated it after returning in Week 4. Purdy threw 4 interceptions across his two starts.
The Niners signed Purdy to a five-year, $265 contract extension prior to the season. They are not going to give up on him just because Jones has played well — even if Brady recommends it.
