The San Francisco 49ers find themselves at a critical juncture with their quarterback. Patriots Initiatives Mac Jones has wowed the home crowd with his crushing moves since coming into the rotation this rookie season. Brock Purdy, the former Iowa State star, has been nursing a turf toe this season. The 49ers’ coaching staff, headed by head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, is dedicated to getting him to be their starter once he’s healthy again. Jones has certainly done all he can to make a case for himself, flashing impressive downfield accuracy and poise while looking extremely comfortable in Shanahan’s multifaceted offensive scheme.
Jones had a tumultuous final two seasons in New England. Last season, as the starting quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars, his play was even worse. Even through these challenges, his performance as a 49er has been impressive. He signed an $8.4 million, two-year deal with the team in March. In the eight starts since then, he has played like a top 10 quarterback. His numbers tell the story of a quarterback who is extremely efficient and one of the best game winners college football has seen in recent years.
Jones is 12th in QBR right now. He’s outdone other well-respected quarterbacks such as Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, and Aaron Rodgers. He’s averaging 268.9 passing yards per game, good for second in the league for this stat. Adam’s completion percentage is 3rd best in the league at 69.6% and yards per attempt average of 7.4 is in the top-10.
For example, in last week’s stunning upset of the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Rams, Jones threw a masterful 33 of 39 strike rate. He passed for 319 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. That’s significant, because this game was his fourth such outing this season with a passer rating over 100. He is quickly establishing himself as one of the team’s most indispensable players. His contributions have been key to the 49ers’ surprising 5-3 start. They’ve done all of this amazing work while moving a lineup card of skill position players more than a South Park episode.
Jones is still going strong in his first full power performance. On the other hand, Brock Purdy’s future is cloudy while he gets over turf toe. Shanahan and Lynch were playing politics when they said they’re committed to reinstating Purdy as the starting quarterback once he’s all healed up. There’s no chance Purdy is going to be anything close to his best self this year.
Amidst the speculation and pressure surrounding the quarterback situation, Jones remains focused on leading the 49ers and preparing for their upcoming game against the Arizona Cardinals. He emphasized how important leadership will be for the young roster. Of course it’s difficult not to think about my position, I never want my mind to go there,” he added. Here is what you can look forward to, week-by-week. Our very young team requires a steady hand and my hope is that I can provide that leadership as we regroup and lock and load for Arizona.
Jones said he was hoping to find the joy in playing football again after trying seasons last fall and this spring. “I wanted to get back to having fun playing football,” he remarked. So I think I’ve done that… I’ve just been really fortunate to be here this year and I want to just try and find ways to win games for us and that’s all I’m here to do. And the future will be what it will be, as one popular speaker likes to say.
While that situation is still developing, Jones has emerged as their leading option. He has unequivocally established himself as the straw that stirs the drink for the San Francisco 49ers. His gritty, forceful performances have made sure that the team has been able to stay competitive. Even more recently, they have set the league abuzz with speculation about his future with the franchise. Once Jones takes the field, his performance will dictate whether he stays the starter going forward. Purdy’s health will be a huge factor in making this decision.
Leave a Reply