NFL analysts waste no time fueling 49ers QB controversy chatter

Ideally, San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones would love to establish some sort of quarterback controversy in the Bay Area alongside the franchise signal-caller, Brock Purdy.

After all, doing so would at least indicate Jones was playing well enough to seize a full-time starter's job, an opportunity that got a slight glimmer of hope during the Niners' Week 2 showdown at the New Orleans Saints. With Purdy sidelined because of a turf-toe injury, Jones put on a three-touchdown, zero-interception performance that justified San Francisco's offseason free-agent investment in him.

Also, on the heels of Purdy's lucrative five-year, $265 million extension signed earlier this offseason, Jones' subsequent delivery opened up the door to the inevitable.

Talks of a quarterback controversy.

NFL analysts jump right on Mac Jones-Brock Purdy QB controversy after Week 2

Purdy, who seems to carry his fair share of doubters despite entering year four of his NFL career, was also going to be put back into the spotlight if Jones performed well in his stead, which he did.

Case in point, Sports Illustrated's Grant Cohn didn't hesitate to call out the thought of both Jones and Purdy being relatively equal enough on the field but drastically different in the pocketbook:

With chatter about Purdy being nothing more than a "system quarterback" having never fully evaporated, Jones' own efforts in Week 2 only served to reignite those conversations, suggesting both signal-callers can thrive in head coach Kyle Shanahan's innovative and quarterback friendly offense.

You're all but guaranteed to see more suggestions like these in the coming days and weeks:

Then, Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd said the quiet part out loud between Purdy and Jones, effectively saying the former's success is entirely contingent upon Shanahan's presence.

The fact Jones replicated similar success in one start is proof, apparently:

"The good news for San Francisco is they now have two quarterbacks that work," Cowherd stressed. "One is probably overpaid, and one is absolutely underpaid. But this is what Kyle Shanahan does. That's why I've always said, with Brock Purdy... Brock is better than Mac Jones. I'm not denying that. Is he $265 million better?"

It's not hard to see what Cowherd is getting at here.

"I think a lot of Brock Purdy's success is circumstantial," Cowherd concluded. "And it's because of Shanahan, and yesterday proves it."

Maybe there's a sense of truth to that. Shanahan has elevated plenty of signal-callers from being below average (i.e. Jimmy Garoppolo) into respectability, and Jones might very well be the next case.

But, to suggest a mistake in paying Purdy while getting the exact kind of production from Jones in one game is not only shortsighted, but it also fails to take into account the full body of work from both players up to this point.

Jones is a starting-caliber quarterback who performed well in his Niners debut, while Purdy is a franchise centerpiece.