To think the 49ers‘ future at quarterback points anywhere other than Brock Purdy doesn’t quite add up. Still, that hasn’t stopped the speculations. Mac Jones‘ gritty Thursday Night Football performance (threw 342 yards and 2 touchdowns) and his steady plan while Purdy’s been sidelined are making things interesting for the San Francisco. The buzz is definitely growing, but now let’s be real, Jones is holding the injury-depleted 49ers until Purdy is fully recovered from his turf toe injury. Still, the 49ers should be careful with Jones, who can jeopardize the “QB future” for them.

Jones has been on the injury report with a knee injury that he sustained against the Los Angeles Rams. He took a hard hit from defensive lineman Jared Verse on a ten-yard pass to Kendrick Bourne in the third quarter. He was seen limping on the field. “Definitely a lot of things happened, but I feel good,” Jones said after the game. “Just working through some stuff. I was able to play, so that’s all that matters. If I can protect myself, then it’s my job to be out there.” The 49ers must be careful about how they manage this injury. And loyalty to quarterbacks has never been Kyle Shanahan’s calling card. So, one question comes to mind. Why is Kyle Shanahan leaning towards Jones over Purdy?

A few reasons stand out. Jones gets the ball out faster than Purdy. Purdy averages 2.9 seconds per throw this season, while Jones is at 2.6 and reportedly 2,24 in the Rams game. This frustrated the Rams’ defense as they spoke to Jay Glazer. This quick release is crucial when the 49ers’ run game isn’t clicking and they are forced to rely heavily on the pass. Additionally, they were missing two-time Pro Tight End George Kittle, left guard Ben Bartch, and wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and Juan Jennings, apart from Purdy.

This is the reason Jones had to improvise to take the team to a 26-23 victory. “Kyle came up to me before the game and he was (ticked) how we were underdogs and he was like: ‘Let it fly.’ I’m like: ‘Coach, you don’t have to tell me twice,” Jones said on the Amazon Prime Video broadcast. “We made it happen. I’m happy for the guys. What a great team win.”

Mac Jones speaks out on replacing Purdy

Jones was drafted 15th overall by the Patriots after the year Tom Brady left and showed early promise as a rookie, leading them to the playoffs. But after offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left, things unraveled quickly. Jones went 8-17 over the next two seasons and eventually was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he started 7 games and went 2-5. After unimpressive stints, the 49ers brought him back to Purdy.

This is a serious investment for the 49ers, who signed the QB2 for 2 years for $8,410,000. Jones cleared the air and kept every “QB controversy” aside. “They brought me here to play as a backup. That’s my job,” Jones told reporters after the win. “Brock is the starter of this team. Right now, he’s dealing with something. To go out last week not at full health, he cares about this team. I’m trying to get wins for him. I’m here to do my job. Brock is the starter, and I’m just trying to help this team win.”

The 27-year-old quarterback was steady throughout the night, completing 33-of-49 passes without any interceptions. Jones is now 3-0 as a starter this season while Brock Purdy recovers from a turf toe injury. While Jones is still on the gridiron, the 49ers are unlikely to have any QB change. While Purdy is out, Adrian Martinez is the backup. Coach Shanahan has also relied heavily on Jones.