The San Francisco 49ers will face the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday in the NFL's Wild Card round. One hopes backup quarterback Mac Jones will not see any action, but we know what happened last time the Niners played a playoff game in Philadelphia.
The 2022 NFC Championship game is one many fans would like to forget, but Brock Purdy got knocked out of that contest, and with the current state of San Francisco's offensive line, it would not be a huge shock if Purdy deals with a lot of pressure yet again.
Obviously, the hope is Purdy can play the entire game. But if he is taking a beating back there and potentially even gets injured, that could influence what the Niners decide to do with Jones this offseason.
Jones filled in admirably for San Francisco this season as Purdy missed eight games due to a turf-toe injury. The former proved just how important it is to have a competent backup quarterback, because without him, it's unlikely that 49ers would have even made the playoffs.
The 2021 first-round draftee went 5-3 as a starter and completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 2,151 yards and 13 touchdowns along with six interceptions.
There has been a ton of speculation about whether the Niners will trade Jones in the offseason since he is under contract for another year. But, if the 49ers have to rely on Jones on Sunday in Philadelphia, then they may think long and hard about whether they should trade him in the offseason.
Purdy is clearly the superior quarterback when he is healthy and on his game. He proved as much after returning from injury late in the season, although some still cling to the idea that Jones is a better option.
However, Purdy has also proven to be somewhat injury-prone in his career. That is not necessarily his fault as he has gotten some bad breaks, but this has shown how important it is to have a contingency plan in place should he go down.
Jones is only one of three quarterbacks, along with Purdy and Jimmy Garoppolo, to have a winning record for San Francisco under head coach Kyle Shanahan. It has been rare for Shanahan to find a signal-caller who can win games, so it may be smart to retain him for that reason as well.
Let's hope Jones doesn't have to play on Sunday, but if he does, he may remind the Niners why he is an important piece to have if Purdy goes down.