The San Francisco 49ers suddenly have a quarterback dilemma. And one of the greatest to ever play the position has weighed in. With Brock Purdy still recovering from a turf toe injury and Mac Jones leading the team to consistent wins, Tom Brady believes there’s only one way forward.

Appearing on FOX’s NFL pregame show, Tom Brady was asked whether the 49ers should stick with Jones even after Purdy returns healthy. His answer was classic Brady, part humor, part truth.

“ I wonder why you asked me this question,” he smiled, before adding, “You got to go with the hot hand, Yes, you stay with them. I got to believe that’s why I’m still sitting here today, because they went with the hot hand about 25 years ago,” Brady said.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion’s comment referenced his own rise in New England. When his own career-changing moment came in 2001, the Patriots stuck with him over injured Drew Bledsoe. A decision that reshaped NFL history. Tom Brady’s logic now applies that if Jones keeps winning, San Francisco shouldn’t rush Purdy back into the lineup.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed Friday that Jones will start again in Week 10 against the Rams, with Purdy.

“We haven’t decided whether to make [Purdy] active or not, but he’s further along this week than last week,” Shanahan said.

The former seventh-round pick has been limited in practice for weeks and hasn’t played since aggravating his injury in Week 4. Meanwhile, Jones has capitalized, going 5-2 as a starter, completing 67.2% of his passes for 1,832 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions.

The results have spoken. Even inside the locker room, Jones’ toughness has earned growing respect. “That’s a big reason why I play,” Jones said. “To get the respect of people I trust and people that I would take an opinion from… so I want to show it for the whole season. That’s my goal.”

If Mac Jones keeps delivering, Purdy might be watching from the sideline a little longer than expected. As the quarterback debate unfolds, Shanahan’s bigger challenge may be keeping the rest of his roster alive.

Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers keep fighting through brutal injury storm

The San Francisco 49ers really shouldn’t be sitting at 6-3 right now. Not with their quarterback situation looking shaky, their defense battered by injuries, and their receiving corps just trying to hold it together. Yet, here they are, still in the game, still fighting, and still eyeing that NFC West title, all thanks to Kyle Shanahan, who’s quietly having one of the best coaching seasons of his career.

This Sunday, they’ll face off against the Los Angeles Rams in a divisional showdown that will really put Shanahan’s resilience to the test. Ricky Pearsall is set to miss his fifth consecutive game as he continues to recover from a knee injury. On the defensive side, Alfred Collins, Keion White, and Kalia Davis are questionable after some midweek setbacks. The team has already been hit hard with long-term injuries to Nick Bosa, Mykel Williams, and Yetur Gross-Matos, which has forced backups into starting roles.

Despite all these challenges, Shanahan’s squad is standing strong. “When you have injuries it’s much more of a challenge, definitely,” Shanahan said. “But, I think some of the key positions we have had key injuries, we’ve had some good guys step up.”

With Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Trent Williams still leading the offense, San Francisco isn’t backing down. In fact, thanks to Shanahan’s ability to adapt and the team’s commitment, the 49ers are looking less like a team just trying to survive and more like a group of believers ready to make a run.