It's understandable why quarterback Mac Jones' debut with the San Francisco 49ers would spark some sort of controversy about whom head coach Kyle Shanahan should start under center long term.
Given the opportunity to shine with Brock Purdy sidelined with a turf-toe injury, Jones did just that in Week 3, tossing three touchdowns against zero interceptions and helming the Niners to a 26-21 road victory over the New Orleans Saints. In nearly every facet, San Francisco's offseason free-agent pickup checked off the first box in rewriting the narrative of what's otherwise been a disappointing career since being selected at No. 15 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
For better or worse, there'll be conversations of a quarterbacking controversy, ranging from the arguments suggesting whatever quarterback is merely a product of head coach Kyle Shanahan's system to Jones potentially being a better fit all around.
If you haven't seen it yet, you will. Plus, should Purdy struggle upon his eventual return, the fuel for QB-controversy talk will only get hotter.
But there's a simple reason why Shanahan and the 49ers won't ever let it get to that point.
49ers have 1 simple reason why Mac Jones won't spark QB controversy with Brock Purdy
Well, maybe 265 million reasons. That's the cash scheduled to make its way into Purdy's bank account after his five-year extension inked last offseason.
With no realistic "outs" from the extension for at least the next two years, the only realistic way Purdy loses his job to Jones is either via injury or a titanic collapse after resuming his starting duties, which is always possible but awfully unlikely. The Niners' financial commitment to Purdy all but guarantees he's the franchise centerpiece no matter what, relegating Jones to alternate paths.
And Jones certainly understands that.
In his case, his Week 2 outing in which he tossed for a 113.1 passer rating against a scrappy NOLA defense, was an excellent first step toward resurrecting his career. Signed through 2026, Jones surely saw how Purdy's backup from 2023, now-Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold, telegraphed his own QB2 duties into a trajectory-changing experience, subsequently starring with the Minnesota Vikings a year later before inking his own lucrative deal with the Hawks.
Jones is fully aware of the context, which matters here in this case. He knows Purdy's contract alone stands almost entirely the way of him taking over starting duties in the Bay Area for the long term.
Yet the door is still very much open for him to use San Francisco as a stepping stone toward a resurgence.
Elsewhere, though.