Who will be the starting quarterback for the 49ers? Brock Purdy or Mac Jones

After five games in the 2025 NFL season the San Francisco 49ers find themselves with a 4-1 record. Most impressively, they have done so without starting quarterback Brock Purdy.

Purdy has made only two starts in five games as he continues to struggle with a persistent toe injury. In his place, Mac Jones has deputized admirably, leading the team to a 3-0 record. His Week 5 outing was the real stand-out performance, putting up 342 yards and throwing two touchdowns in an overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday.

It looks like Purdy will miss this weekend’s trip to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and some have asked whether Jones’ form has complicated matters for the 49ers. If he can extend his record to 4-0, has he made himself ‘undroppable’ in San Francisco?

For the moment, no. A report from CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz indicates that Purdy remains the first-choice quarterback and that he will retake his place as soon as he is fit enough to do so.

Despite a string of good performances there isn’t much to suggest that Jones has what it takes to dislodge Purdy, who has already led the 49ers to a Super Bowl. Jones struggled after a successful rookie season with the Patriots and he could only manage a 2-5 record in his seven starts for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024.

Having said that, Jones has a good chance to continue his good run of form against the Buccaneers on Sunday. The Buccs’ defense is currently 29th in the NFL for red zone efficiency and 24th for touchdown passes allowed, suggesting that Jones won’t face too much opposition. If he keeps up his winning record he will have at least managed to rehabilitate an extremely promising NFL career that has stalled in recent years.

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