The 2025 regular season has been a bittersweet one for the San Francisco 49ers so far. On one hand, the franchise has been riddled with injuries, so much so that both fans and analysts alike had no issues with writing them off early.
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On the other hand, they’ve somehow managed to overcome those setbacks and produce a nearly perfect record with Mac Jones. Now that Brock Purdy is being set to miss out on a fourth consecutive contest, Jones will have yet another opportunity to solidify himself as one of the premier backups in the league, which he may have already done.
The absences of Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Purdy have certainly hindered the 49ers‘ offense, but Jones has been able to make the most of what is left so far. The former New England Patriot is currently averaging more than 300 passing yards per game throughout the last three weeks, which is currently the highest average of any quarterback in the NFL, and he’s even managed to give San Francisco a three-game win streak.
Throw in the fact that he also ranks inside the top 10 of ESPN’s adjusted quarterback ratings, and it’s safe to say that he’s been the saving grace of the 49ers this year. He’s helped to salvage what should have been a disaster of a season, and as a result, has likely ensured himself a pretty penny down the line.
Jones has afforded the 49ers and Purdy the luxury of time. They no longer have to feel pressured to hasten the return of their star quarterback, who is dealing with a somewhat bedeviling case of turf toe.
Considering that the franchise just signed Purdy to a five-year $265-million contract, they’ll likely want to protect that investment as much as possible. After all, why bother taking a risk with the fifth-largest contract in the league today?
While San Francisco will almost certainly need to be healthier than they are right now come playoff time, the good news is that they are beginning to ensure that their star players will actually have playoff aspirations to come back to.
The championship window has been steadily closing for this team ever since they suffered an overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVIII, but thanks to the unlikely heroics of guys like Jones and even Jake Tonges, who hadn’t caught a single pass in the NFL prior to this year, they may be looking at one last opportunity at chasing the big one.
That’ll be easier said than done, of course, but Jones has at least given them a chance, and for a backup quarterback, that’s already more than anyone could have asked for.
