The San Francisco 49ers have been fortunate to get some great play from backup quarterback Mac Jones. Throughout it all, he has been mature and adopted a team-first approach, which stands in sharp contrast to other quarterbacks across the NFL.
Jones has gotten three starts this season as the Niners' starter, Brock Purdy, has dealt with a toe injury. In those starts, Jones has a 3-0 record and has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 905 passing yards and six touchdowns compared to one interception.
The fact Jones has played so well has only fueled a narrative that San Francisco has a quarterback controversy between Jones and Purdy. The former has only fanned those flames with how well he has played, but he has not fanned them with his remarks.
The Alabama product has made it very clear that he sees himself as the backup and Purdy as the starter:
Mac Jones was asked if he views himself as the starting QB going forward:
— KNBR (@KNBR) October 3, 2025
"Brock's the starter of this team ... I'm just trying to get some wins for him so it helps us down the line." pic.twitter.com/cCxIErlxlE
"Brock's the starter of this team," Jones said. "... I'm just trying to get some wins for him so it helps us down the line.
His mature remarks are a breath of fresh air and are definitely welcome when looking around the league at other quarterbacks and how they have handled adversity. In particular, Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns has caught some flak for his remarks on whether he should start, and his bizarre pantomime routine in response to the criticism from former coach turned TV analyst Rex Ryan.
In the past, Purdy’s maturity has stood out compared to attention-hungry quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, who was all too willing to throw a fellow teammate under the bus for a mistake last season. The Niners are lucky to have two mature, level-headed players who are focused on the team first in the QB room.
For now, it seems like Jones is going to be the starter. The Niners clearly rushed Purdy back before he was at 100 percent for the Week 4 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They would be wise to make sure they do not get him back on the field unless he is at full health, otherwise the issue could linger the entire season.
Purdy’s play seems to have suffered as a result of the injury. This season in two starts, he has completed 65.8 percent of his passes with four touchdown passes compared to four interceptions.
Jones has proven to be a more than capable backup, so there is no need for San Francisco to take risks with Purdy. While prognosticators will continue to argue that there is a QB controversy brewing in the Bay, Jones would be the first one to shoot that notion down, which is a very welcome sign of leadership and maturity.