Most NFL teams wouldn’t expect to remain in the thick of the playoff hunt when their starting quarterback misses eight of their first 10 games.
But that’s the unfortunate situation the 49ers found themselves in this year — and yet they still are 6-4 with a lighter part of their schedule upcoming as starter Brock Purdy returns to action. That’s largely a credit to the high-level play of backup quarterback Mac Jones, who went 5-3 in place of Purdy.
As a result, coach Kyle Shanahan explained to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco on “49ers Game Plan” this week why he has made sure to show his appreciation for Jones’ vital effort as San Francisco transitions back to Purdy as the starter this week.
“Yeah, [Jones] totally knows the gig, to where I don’t think there had to be a conversation at all, but I did want to make sure to tell him that I appreciate him and how much he helped us through this time,” Shanahan told Maiocco. “The way Mac has handled this since the beginning, the way he is every day in the meetings, it wasn’t even a conversation I had to have.
“My wife tells me that sometimes I got to give people compliments more. They don’t always know them; they got to hear them. So, I’m trying to do that better.”
After all, not only did Jones keep San Francisco afloat during Purdy’s injury absence, but he also afforded the 49ers more time to let Purdy recover as much as possible from his turf toe injury.
Now, Shanahan certainly hopes that Purdy — who received the largest contract in franchise history this offseason — will remain healthy so he won’t need to rely on Jones’ services anymore. Nevertheless, it’s clear that the drop-off to Jones isn’t nearly as significant as many other quarterback rooms in the NFL.
With Jones returning to his original backup role, Shanahan revealed what was most impressive about his time as the 49ers’ starter.
“The fact that he came in and played like a starter,” Shanahan explained. “I always say, when the backup comes in and plays like a backup, it’s usually a backup we try to replace. A backup, to me, would be a true backup that you want, has got to be a guy who is capable of playing like a starter. Some guys can do it for one game. Some guys can do it for two. But very rarely can they do it for a longer stretch than that.
“Mac did it week in and week out for us — the way he played, the way he handled himself with the teammates, how aggressive he was in the pocket. He got the ball to the right spots pretty flawlessly. I was really impressed with him.”
Considering the 49ers’ widespread injury misfortune throughout the team — not just at quarterback — it’s hard not to be impressed by Jones’ critical performance.