After a week of preparation to play without starting quarterback Brock Purdy, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan made it official on Friday: Purdy will sit out Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints, and veteran Mac Jones will get the start.
“Mac has been awesome,” Shanahan said. “He’s been the same guy this week as he’s been all camp. Our team believes in him, enjoys playing with him, and he had a great week of practice.”
Purdy missed all three practices this week while recovering from left shoulder and toe injuries sustained in last week’s win over the Seattle Seahawks. Shanahan noted that the toe injury—similar to turf toe—is the more significant issue and could sideline Purdy for multiple weeks. General manager John Lynch echoed that concern Thursday on KNBR radio, describing Purdy’s status as “week-to-week.”
“Brock is doing well,” Lynch said. “He’s working hard to get back as soon as possible, but it’s a week-to-week situation.”
With Purdy unavailable, Jones took all first-team reps in practice leading up to the matchup and will make his first start for San Francisco since signing a two-year, $7 million contract in March.
Jones, the No. 15 overall pick by the New England Patriots in the 2021 NFL Draft, started seven games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, throwing eight touchdowns and eight interceptions with a career-low QBR of 36.6. After a promising rookie season with New England (56.9 QBR), his next two years were plagued by inconsistency (QBRs of 38.4 and 37.5), leading to a trade to Jacksonville before landing in San Francisco.
For Jones, joining the 49ers was an opportunity to reset his career in Shanahan’s quarterback-friendly system—similar to what Sam Darnold experienced last season.
“I’ve been fortunate to play a lot of different roles,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, your job as a quarterback is simple—hand the ball off or throw it. I try to keep things that simple, stay calm, go through my reads, and be ready to play no matter the situation. I’m confident in the work I put in this offseason, and I’m ready.”
Coaches and teammates have praised Jones for his strong offseason and training camp performance before he suffered a mild knee sprain in the preseason.
“Mac’s been impressive since the day he arrived,” offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said. “He’s been completely open to our coaching, bought in from Day 1, and you can see the growth.”
With Purdy sidelined, the 49ers plan to elevate practice squad quarterback Adrian Martinez to serve as Jones’ backup. Martinez, an undrafted free agent in 2023, previously spent time with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets and was elevated once last season by New York but did not play.
“He’s been good these past two weeks, really learning the game plans,” Shanahan said. “He got more scout-team reps this week than ever, and we’re working with him after practice. I’d be comfortable with him in the game if needed.”
San Francisco is also dealing with several other injury concerns. Star tight end George Kittle was placed on injured reserve earlier this week with a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Jauan Jennings (shoulder) and left tackle Trent Williams (knee) are both listed as questionable after missing Wednesday and Thursday practices, though both participated in limited work on Friday and appear to be trending in the right direction.
