Generally, when a 6-4 team gets its franchise quarterback back from injury, there’s a huge sense of relief. That’s not exactly the case in San Francisco, where 49ers starting QB Brock Purdy is edging closer to returning from the turf toe injury that has sidelined him since Week 4.
The expectation inside and outside the building is that he has a good chance to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan has said as much, but the way backup Mac Jones has used Purdy’s absence to resurrect his own career has ignited a full-blown debate among fans and analysts about who should tart.
Jones is 5–3 as a starter for San Francisco this season, completing 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. It’s fair to argue the 49ers are still in the playoff hunt despite a rash of injuries on both sides of the ball because of Jones.
In the midst of calls for Jones to start over Purdy, Shanahan has made it resoundingly clear which signal-caller he favors as his QB1.
Kyle Shanahan on Whether He Wants Brock Purdy or Mac Jones as His Starter: ‘Not a Hard Decision’
GettyKyle Shanahan spoke candidly about Brock Purdy and Mac Jones, stating which QB he wants as his starter.
First, a bit of context. After Jones’ solid showing this season, calls for the former first-round QB to get the nod over Purdy have intensified.
FOX Sports analyst Tom Brady argued this week that San Francisco should keep riding “the hot hand” with Jones even after Purdy is cleared. Former 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman made a similar case, saying the team should stick with Jones given how well he’s played in Shanahan’s system. It is not often that a former MVP and a franchise great worry publicly that a team might go back to its $265 million quarterback too quickly.
Inside the building, though, Shanahan has been almost stubbornly uncomplicated about who the team’s starter is.
“Not a hard decision,” Shanahan said on November 12. “It’s just more about Brock’s health. It’s been awesome how Mac has played. He has 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.”
In six quarters of action this season, Purdy has thrown four touchdowns and four interceptions. It was a bit of a slow start considering he finished first and seventh in QBR in 2023 and 2024, respectively. But Shanny is comfortable with what Purdy brings, and the Niners coach says he’s not interested in what the outside world has to say.
“Anytime a backup quarterback comes in and plays good, that’s all anyone talks about,” Shanahan said. “I don’t think anyone talks about what people have done in the past. Whether it’s Brock or whether it’s anybody. That’s just how the world works with media or anybody. So, I don’t look too much into that stuff at all. We all know how good Brock’s played in the past. … I know when Brock comes back, he’ll play the same way he always has, like a very high-level quarterback.”
A Look Ahead to Week 11
Sunday’s trip to Arizona, against a 3–6 Cardinals team starting Jacoby Brissett, would be a great time to ease Purdy back into the starting lineup. If he’s ready to go, that is.
Shanahan says the way Purdy looks in practice, a return feels near.
“You can just feel it,” Shanahan said about Purdy. “A guy you’ve been around for a while like I have Brock, you can just feel how the ball comes off, how he moves, how he reacts. … Usually, you can feel it on the field.”
With a banged up Arizona squad next in line, will we finally see Purdy return to the lineup? It sure sounds like he’s close.
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