The San Francisco 49ers’ 42-26 loss against the Rams emerged as an unexpected narrative. The loss contained a silver lining in terms of the newest addition, Mac Jones’ performance. While the fans saw the potential of the 27-year-old quarterback, tight end George Kittle’s thoughts resonated with them.

The NFL gives you a few chances, and not every player can capitalise the way Jones did. Coming in place of an injured Brock Prudy, Jones not only delivered his season-best performance but also showed his leadership and poise while driving the offense. He completed 33 of 39 attempted passes for 319 yards, recorded three touchdowns, and one interception. The performance also had Kittle admit to his surprise at how good a player Jones was in the press conference.

The fans shared the sentiment under the post: “No way in hell you bench Mac Jones. Put Brock on IR,” one fan commented. Another fan added, “He went from hating Mac Jones to tolerating him; Brock Purdy lowered the bar.”

We also agree with Kittle, because Jones joined the 49ers this season, and seems to be in perfect synergy with the team. The 27-year-old is also not afraid to take hits. In fact, Kittle thought that Jones might get a bit overdramatic on the field.

“I think he’s doing it intentionally now,” Kittle said jokingly in a conversation with 49ers Webzone. “I think that’s kind of what it seems like. He’s just getting mildly banged up on purpose because it looks cool.”

However, on a serious note, Kittle commended Jones for his determination.

“It’s awesome, Kittle continued. “When you have a guy that takes hits, and just gets back up, and gets back up, and then performs at a high level, that’s what you want in a football player, and that’s what you want in a teammate.”

With Jones enjoying a purple patch now, it will be a real head-scratcher for Shanahan when Prudy returns. Jones ranks 26th in yards (1,417), 23rd in touchdowns (10), and has a 63.4% quarterback rating, as per ESPN. Having two top quarterbacks is not as nice a problem as it seems, and Shanahan will agree. While the fans wanted to bring back Prudy, the seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady had other ideas.

Tom Brady on whether the 49ers should start Mac Jones

Arguably the most outstanding player in football, Tom Brady, gave his take on the 49ers’ dilemma. During the 49ers vs Rams’ FOX’s NFL pregame show, Brady was put on the spot and asked whether Shanahan should start Jones or switch to Prudy upon his return. His answer? A clever take from his own experience.

“ I wonder why you asked me this question,” Brady asked with a smile. “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.”

Well, Brady believes that the 49ers should stick with Jones, but it will definitely not be a walk in the park as Shanahan makes his assessments. Prudy is expected back next week as they face the Arizona Cardinals. Only time will tell whether the head coach chooses between Jones and Prudy.