Few, if anyone, could have imagined the San Francisco 49ers getting this much success from quarterback Mac Jones, their high-profile offseason free-agent pickup who was brought in solely to serve as Brock Purdy's backup.
Instead, Jones' career reclamation project has become a league-wide storyline, particularly after he led a banged-up sans-Purdy Niners squad to a 26-23 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5 on Thursday Night Football.
With Purdy having missed three games because of turf toe, Jones has done more than just hold the line. Over the latter's three starts, the 2021 first-round draftee completed two-thirds of his 129 pass attempts for six touchdowns against one interception, all for a passer rating of 99.1 and an NFL-best yards-per-game average of 301.7.
And the 4-1 Niners are 3-0 in his starts, too, although credit goes far beyond Jones on that final line.
Shortly before San Francisco's Thursday night win, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Purdy's status for Week 6's road contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was still in doubt, after suffering a setback in Week 4's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, meaning Jones could get another start:
From The @NFLonPrime TNF pregame show: #49ers QB Brock Purdy suffered a setback of his turf toe injury against the #Jaguars and is now considered week-to-week. He could miss additional games after tonight. pic.twitter.com/dRYqj0nK5S
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 2, 2025
"I'm told he's considered week-to-week," Rapoport said of Purdy. "After this, they play the Bucs next week. He could miss that game as well."
In that light, head coach Kyle Shanahan has a choice to make.
And it should be an easy one.
Mac Jones gives Kyle Shanahan no reason to rush Brock Purdy back
Let's go ahead and fully reject the idea Jones is creating some sort of quarterback controversy with how things have developed thus far over five weeks. The 49ers are paying Purdy up to $265 million, and he's the franchise centerpiece.
Jones, meanwhile, is a starting-caliber backup who is taking advantage of the opportunity in an attempt to resurrect what has otherwise been a frustrating career.
That said, and alluding to what Rapoport also mentioned about setbacks, giving Purdy another week of rest and recovery will be vital to his long-term health. It'd be one thing if the Niners were already in a playoff crunch over the final weeks of the season, and it'd be worth arguing rushing Purdy back if Jones' efforts in 2025 emulated what he produces as a backup to the Jags' Trevor Lawrence a year ago.
But San Francisco already sits atop the NFC West with three in-division victories already, and Jones is playing at a Pro Bowl level.
While there's no doubting to whom the starting job would go to if both were fully healthy, Shanahan's choice for Week 6 is an obvious one.
Start Jones. Rest Purdy. That's it.