The wait is over, and the San Francisco 49ers will finally have their starting quarterback back. Brock Purdy has been cleared to return and will start on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, taking over the offense that Mac Jones had been leading in recent weeks.
Although many believed the 49ers might stick with Jones for the sake of continuity, the switch has been made. Head coach Kyle Shanahan shared how Jones reacted when he was informed that Purdy would be returning to the starting role.
How Mac Jones Dealt With Change in Quarterback Position?
The 49ers have been a polarizing team when it comes to quarterbacks throughout the entire Shanahan era. In a system known as quarterback friendly, where multiple players have managed to thrive, there’s a belief that the team doesn’t need to pay a premium salary like the one they gave Purdy.
The production certainly remained high. In the eight games Jones started, he totaled 2,151 yards, threw 13 touchdowns and six interceptions, and currently ranks as the 13th best quarterback of the season on the PFSN QB Impact Meter with an 80.4 score.
Nevertheless, the change was always anticipated. Both John Lynch and Shanahan repeatedly made it clear that once Purdy was healthy, he would get his job back. The head coach explained to reporters how the conversation with Jones unfolded, illustrating just how strong the locker-room culture has been this season.
“Honestly, it was awesome. He’s understood it the whole time. I think he had a real good idea that Brock was getting there, was going to be ready this week. It wasn’t something that I really had to have a big meeting with or anything, but I did before we went out on the practice field,” Shanahan said.
While the outside noise pushed a quarterback controversy, the biggest win for the 49ers during Jones’ run was realizing they now have two capable quarterbacks on the roster.
“Mac handled it great since the beginning,” Shanahan added. “Him and Brock have been studs together in the room together. They help each other a ton. They enjoy each other. And I’m really pumped to have him this year and I’m really pumped that we have him next year also.”
Fans and even Shanahan got a glimpse of what things might have looked like had the 49ers drafted Jones instead of Trey Lance back in 2021. Today, Jones is expected to have a strong market in 2026, but it wouldn’t be surprising if San Francisco tried to keep him, given how well he held things together this season.
It’s unknown how Purdy will play given his team is gone, players he had last season are gone, will he be able to adjust because his many saviors are gone! Mac has played extremely well, and he had not very many players to help him! All that were traded, Kittle was out, Pearson out! So Purdy has a better chance with both being back! Time will tell, Shanahan not so good at picking QB! And now play calling is not good !