Mac Jones' performance during the San Francisco 49ers' 26-21 Week 2 victory over the New Orleans Saints fully justified general manager John Lynch and Co. going after the 2021 first-round quarterback in free agency last offseason.
That said, Jones was, is and still very much will be the No. 2 on the depth chart behind Brock Purdy.
Purdy, of course, suffered a turf-toe injury in Week 1 that led to subsequent reports he'd miss anywhere from two to five weeks.
It's far from ideal, even with Jones' impressive Niners debut and in light of the franchise-record $265 million extension Purdy inked during the offseason.
Fortunately, though, recent reports from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer indicate San Francisco's franchise signal-caller might be back in the fold on the earlier side of things.
Albert Breer says Brock Purdy may return sooner than later
Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, Breer shared some insight on Purdy's recovery timeline, also casting an approximate estimate on when the quarterback might be healthy enough to return to action.
"I was told two to three weeks," Breer told Eisen. "Maybe it's one of those deals where he gets back out there on the practice field and does light work at the end of the week. But my sense is that they want to sit him out at least two weeks, and maybe the third week."
You can catch the full episode below:
As far as being more specific about Purdy's return, Breer had a best estimate there, too.
"I think Brock Purdy is back probably—and this is a rough estimate—I would say Week 4 or Week 5," the SI insider concluded.
This means Jones is likely to start again in Week 3's home opener against the Arizona Cardinals, and there's a good chance Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan let their QB2 also go up against his most recent employer, the Jacksonville Jaguars, in Week 4.
Week 5's showdown is a Thursday Night Football matchup against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, and it's possible the 49ers are letting Purdy recover in full leading up to that short-week matchup.
Either way, it's not a bad update on the starting quarterback, while Jones' Niners debut should inspire enough confidence in San Francisco's offense being just fine in the interim.
Hat tip to David Bonilla of 49ers Webzone for the find and transcription.