Mike Florio ,
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The 49ers have made a few bad quarterback decisions in recent years. In March, they made a very good one.
When it was time to sign a new backup quarterback, they persuaded Mac Jones to commit for two years, not one.
Beyond the fact that the contract keeps Jones from exiting after only one season, like Sam Darnold did following 2023, it gives the 49ers a chance to make a fully-informed decision regarding their starting quarterback for 2027 and beyond.
Brock Purdy’s long-term deal isn’t. The 49ers have a major decision to make on or before April 1, 2027, when $55.05 million becomes fully guaranteed for 2028. And while cutting ties with Purdy before 4/1/27 would leave the team on the hook for $27.25 million in 2027, the amount would be subject to offset if someone else signs Purdy to a starter-level deal.
And so the 49ers can let the 2025 and 2026 seasons play out before making a decision between Jones and Purdy.
For now, Jones is checking all the right boxes. Per NBC Sports research, Jones could become on Sunday at Tampa Bay the third quarterback in team history to win four straight games while throwing for 275 or more yards in each one, joining Joe Montana (who did it twice) and Steve Young (who did it once). Every time Montana and Young accomplished that feat, they were named the first-team All-Pro quarterback for the season in which it happened. Twice (Montana in 1990 and Young in 1994), the quarterback who did it was named NFL MVP.
For now, the 49ers are downplaying talk of any tension between Purdy and Jones. But friction is inevitable; Montana and Young didn’t get along. As Young tells it, he once went to dinner at Montana’s house, and Montana’s daughter asked, “ Is this the guy we hate? ”
Yes, Purdy has taken the 49ers to a Super Bowl. So did Jimmy Garoppolo. So did Montana, four times (all wins). The team will always make the decision that it believes meshes with its best interests, with past achievements not getting in the way of the right path for the future. And the Purdy and Jones contracts line up in a way that points to a sweet spot between the end of the 2026 season and April 1, 2027.
There’s a lot of football to be played between now and then. And there’s a good chance that, by then, the right answer will become obvious. Regardless, by getting Jones to sign a two-year deal, the 49ers have given themselves a full and fair chance to compare and contrast both players before making a choice that is becoming murkier by the week.
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