The San Francisco 49ers proved last season why they may have the NFL's best quarterback situation. When starter Brock Purdy missed time with a turf toe injury, veteran backup Mac Jones stepped in and kept the offense on track with consistently strong play.

Jones went 5-3 in his eight starts, throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions while posting a career-best 97.4 passer rating.


Purdy started the other nine games, leading the 49ers to a 7-2 record while throwing for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Also on the 49ers' quarterback depth chart are Adrian Martinez and Kurtis Rourke.

CBS Sports' Jordan Dajani recently ranked the NFL's best and worst quarterback situations entering the 2026 season, placing the 49ers at No. 1.

"Brock Purdy is the coolest story in the NFL," Dajani wrote. "The final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft came in and led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game as a rookie, despite receiving his first professional start in Week 14 that year. In Purdy's first full season as a starter in 2023, he set the NFL record for most yards per attempt (9.6), set the franchise record for passing yards in a season (4,280), made the Pro Bowl, and finished fourth in MVP voting."

Dajani also highlighted Purdy's career 104.0 passer rating, which ranks first in 49ers franchise history—a remarkable accomplishment given the organization's rich quarterback tradition.


"A whopping 58.3% of his third-down and fourth-down attempts went for first downs in 2025," Dajani continued. "That was the highest success rate by any quarterback over the past 35 seasons. Kyle Shanahan obviously deserves credit for that stat as well."

Purdy's accomplishments were a major reason the 49ers topped the rankings, but Dajani also pointed to Jones' value as one of the league's best backup quarterbacks. The veteran gives San Francisco a proven insurance policy if Purdy is forced to miss time again, a critical asset for a team with Super Bowl aspirations.

One of Jones' most memorable performances came in the 49ers' Week 5 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, where he demonstrated both toughness and poise while leading an injury-ravaged team.

"In that 26-23 overtime victory, Jones threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns," Dajani wrote. "It made him just the fourth quarterback since 1950 to start 3-0 while throwing for 800 yards and six touchdowns in a player's first three games with a new team, according to CBS Sports Research. The others were Kurt Warner and Matthew Stafford with the Rams, and Patrick Mahomes with the Chiefs. Wild."

Dajani concluded that while Jones may not be an elite quarterback, he has shown he can win games as an NFL starter, making him a valuable asset to the 49ers and a key reason San Francisco boasts the league's top quarterback situation in this ranking.

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