San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had a rough game on Sunday against the Jaguars and his detractors wasted no time capitalizing on it.
This includes former NFL cornerback Patrick Peterson.
The former elite cornerback with the Arizona Cardinals went on the Up & Adams show and suggested that a quarterback controversy could be brewing between Purdy and backup quarterback Mac Jones:
Patrick Peterson thinks there can be a QB controversy with the 49ers if Brock Purdy continues to struggle:
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“If he fumbles the ball and throws interceptions, yes I think it can be… Mac Jones looked really good in the offense.”
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Peterson said that if Purdy keeps turning the ball over, then there is a chance that a controversy could become a reality in San Francisco.
It is true that Purdy was sloppy at times on Sunday. He had two interceptions and he also lost a fumble on the Niners' final drive as they were trying to get a score that could have given them the lead, which is a position that Purdy has struggled to deliver the goods in during his early career.
Still, the notion that there is any sort of controversy brewing between Purdy and Jones is fairly ludicrous. The bigger question is whether Purdy is even healthy enough to be out on the field right now. His struggles against Jacksonville definitely seemed to be influenced by his injured toe, which he seemed to reaggravate in the game.
If the toe does not improve drastically in the coming days, then Jones will probably get the start on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams. Even if Jones has another good game, talk of a controversy would still be misguided. Purdy has proven he is better at full health than Jones, so if Purdy is healthy, he should be the starter.
This is not the first time Peterson has taken swipes at Purdy, though. He promised to pick him off a few years ago when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but instead, Purdy torched him and the Pittsburgh defense in a rout.
Purdy and Peterson actually shared a nice moment in the signal-caller's rookie year, before he became a starter and shed his "Mr. Irrelevant" label. When Purdy was just a teenager in Arizona and a Cardinals fan, he got a picture with Peterson, and they recreated that picture at a joint practice between the 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings.
Maybe Peterson did not appreciate getting embarrassed by Purdy in that Steelers game, so he has chosen to be negative about him ever since.
No matter what, talk of a QB controversy is premature even if that is a narrative that just about every commentator will promulgate if Jones gets the start and plays well on Thursday night.