The New England Patriots have found their new franchise quarterback in Drake Maye, but before Maye, there was Mac Jones. Jones took the league by storm, finishing second in OROY voting in 2021 and leading the Patriots to their first playoff berth post-Brady. While the 10-7 2021 Patriots weren't an incredible team looking back, they were no doubt a fun one with potential.
As time went on, Jones's play began to slip, and he was eventually benched for Bailey Zappe before being traded to Jacksonville to back up Trevor Lawrence. After a 2024 that saw him play eight games, finishing with nine touchdowns and nine turnovers, Jones signed with the 49ers to back up Brock Purdy.
While he wasn't expected to play, he's made eight starts in Purdy's absence. He has 13 touchdowns to six interceptions and has thrown for 2,100 yards, or 262.5 a game. Extrapolate that over twelve games, and he's led the league in passing yards, over even Drake Maye.
With Purdy out, Jones led the Niners to a 5-3 record. Eight starts are already more than a backup QB should have, but should Jones really be the backup?
Mac Jones has a chance to start over Brock Purdy
Brock Purdy is by far the NFL's best-ever Mr. Irrelevant, already having 44 games to his name in four seasons as the Niners' QB. He's fought off Jimmy Garoppolo and former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance to win and retain the starting job, but 2025 hasn't been his best.
Through his four games, he's thrown for 244.8 yards a game with a 68.7% completion rate. He's thrown for eight touchdowns, and he's been sacked less than he ever has been before. The issue lies in the turnovers. He's thrown seven in four games, and on Monday Night Football against the Panthers, he threw three.
The Niners have historically relied on quarterbacks who don't turn the ball over at a high rate to win. Their reliance on the run due to their innate ability to find playable running backs seemingly from thin air has contributed to this philosophy, and Robert Saleh's tremendous defenses over the years haven't hurt.
Back in May, Purdy signed a massive five-year, $265 million extension. With a passer rating upwards of 100 and three playoff berths with him at quarterback, it's more than understandable. Purdy led the Niners to the Super Bowl in just his second season after totaling 33 touchdowns in the regular season, so the move was more than understandable.
Looking at the teams Purdy's played this year, the resume isn't overly impressive. None of the teams has a top-13 pass defense. Against the Cardinals, he put up his best stats for the season, throwing for 200 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions with a 73.1% completion rate.
The Cardinals also rank 20th in passing defense and 24th overall. Performing well against a subpar unit is what's expected of a nearly $300 million arm.
The Niners score 19.7 PPG with Purdy at the helm, which would slot them the 28th-best offense in football. They are 3-1. With Jones, they've averaged 22.8 PPG (18th best) and are 5-3, all while he's thrown one fewer interception despite starting double the games.
As poor as Purdy was on MNF, it's difficult to justify pulling a QB being paid top-five money when the team isn't losing. Shannon Sharpe was one to disagree with this logic, telling Mac Jones to "get ready" after Purdy's poor MNF performance. While you can understand not wanting to risk more poor play from the ISU alum, as noted, it's difficult to justify changing things when a team is winning.
All things considered, I'd expect the ex-Cyclone to remain the guy for the time being, but the former Patriot could well and truly find himself the starter come playoff in the event of an injury or if Purdy's play doesn't pick up.