Mac Jones Poised to Make Debut vs. Saints as 49ers Assess Brock Purdy’s Injury Status

Mac Jones is set to replace Brock Purdy as the starting quarterback for the 49ers when they face the New Orleans Saints in week 2.

Mac Jones Poised to Make Debut vs. Saints as 49ers Assess Brock Purdy’s Injury Status

Mac Jones and Brock Purdy (Image via IMAGO)

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The San Francisco 49ers dealt a huge blow as quarterback Brock Purdy picked up an injury in the opening day win over the Seattle Seahawks. Purdy is likely to miss the next few games.

Purdy began his fourth year in San Francisco with a mammoth contract extension. This put a lot of pressure on his shoulders, as it raised the level of expectations.

The 49ers visited Seattle to play the Seahawks, a team that secured a win in their last meeting. So, the future presented Purdy with an opportunity to exact his revenge.

The 25-year-old threw two early interceptions, allowing the Seahawks to take the lead. Purdy eventually found his groove to score two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing), leading the Niners to a 17-13 victory.

Purdy’s final stats reflected his performance. He amassed 24 completions from 35 attempts for 277 yards, two TDs, two INTs, and a game-winning drive.

Despite the win, the Niners weren’t out of the woods just yet. A day later, insiders from the 49ers’ facility revealed concerning news about Purdy. He reportedly suffered injuries to his shoulder and toe. Wednesday’s injury report listed Purdy as one of the players who was absent from training.

Mercury News’ Cam Inman and NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco later confirmed the suspicions. Inman tweeted that Purdy is a ‘long shot’ to play the 49ers’ second game against the New Orleans Saints.

They were dealing with plenty of injuries to players such as George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, and Jauan Jennings (who played against the Seahawks). Now Purdy is part of the ever-growing list.

Brock Purdy’s injury leaves the door open for Mac Jones

Kyle Shanahan emphasized the importance of having a good backup quarterback. Staying true to that philosophy, the 49ers’ head coach signed former first-round draft pick Mac Jones in the offseason. With Purdy out of the picture for an undisclosed time, Shanahan may turn to Jones to take over as the lead shot caller.

Mac Jones Poised to Make Debut vs. Saints as 49ers Assess Brock Purdy’s Injury Status
Mac Jones (Image via IMAGO)

Jones played a handful of snaps in the first two preseason games after signing a two-year $7 million contract. He threw 17 passes and two interceptions, totaling 200+ passing yards.

Before moving to the Bay Area, Jones spent a year in Jacksonville. He deputized for the injured Trevor Lawrence, racking up a 2-5 record.

Shanahan was a big admirer of Jones coming out of the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he won two CFP championships. Jones was on the Niners’ radar, but they opted to draft North Dakota State prospect Trey Lance at number three overall.

Now, both Jones and Lance are on their third team in three years (Lance spent two years in Dallas before signing for the Chargers in 2025).

Analyst recommends the Niners re-sign a former draft pick

The Niners are currently short on quarterbacks. They started the off-season training program with five quarterbacks: Purdy, Jones, rookie Curtis Rourke, Tanner Mordecai, and Carter Bradley.

Rourke is on the injured reserve list after suffering an ACL injury, while both Mordecai and Bradley were waived during the 53-man roster lock. As an insurance policy, Shanahan brought in Adrian Martinez from the Jets’ waivers.

So, currently, there are two healthy QBs on the roster. The Athletic’s Matt Barrows suggested that the Niners should re-sign C.J. Beathard to fill the remaining QB spot.

C.J. Beathard is on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad. The 49ers have already brought back 2017 acquisitions Robert Saleh and Kendrick Bourne. Why not do the same with Beathard?

Barrows wrote

Whomever the 49ers choose to sign, they should do it quickly. The Saints game is just around the corner.

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