The quarterback some wanted benched may have the inside track to the Super Bowl
- - The quarterback some wanted benched may have the inside track to the Super Bowl
Rohan NadkarniDecember 30, 2025 at 7:05 PM
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Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates a touchdown Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)
When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy missed an extended period of time this season, multiple high-profile names within the sport said the team was better off keeping him on the bench in favor of backup Mac Jones, who had played well in his stead.
“I just don’t see how [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] will be able to take Mac Jones off the field with how he’s playing,” Amazon Prime analyst Richard Sherman, a former 49ers cornerback, posted on X in November. “I know Brock Purdy HAS to start if he’s healthy but this is a hot hand situation right now and MAC is rolling! Not trying to spark controversy but this is an obvious observation.”
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said the same month: “There is a brewing quarterback controversy, competition, whatever you want in San Francisco.”
Around the time of Sherman’s and Orlovsky’s comments, Purdy had missed eight of San Francisco’s first 10 games. The 49ers had a 1-1 record in his two starts, compared with a 5-3 mark in Jones’ eight.
Among those who advocated for sticking with Jones was none other than Tom Brady, the legendary, seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who himself became a starter because of an injury to another player.
“You gotta go with the hot hand,” Brady said Nov. 9. “Yes, you stay with him. I gotta believe that’s why I’m still sitting here today because [the New England Patriots] went with the hot hand about 25 years ago.”
But since Purdy returned to action for good on Nov. 16, not only has he had the hot hand in San Francisco — but it also might just be the hottest in the NFL.
The 49ers have won six straight games after a nail-biting victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. With a 12-4 record, San Francisco can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18. That would give the 49ers home-field advantage throughout the entire playoffs, literally, as the Super Bowl is set to be played at San Francisco’s home stadium in February.
During the six-game winning streak, Purdy has been fantastic. He has thrown for 16 touchdowns and run for three more. The 49ers have won five of the games by double digits, while Purdy led a come-from-behind victory in the sixth.
“I thought Brock had a hell of a game,” Shanahan said postgame Sunday. “Brock has been playing his ass off, made some huge plays in this game. Kept some drives alive with his legs, made some off-schedule plays, and he’s an assassin out there. ... He’s playing as good as it gets right now.”
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Since he returned in Week 11, Purdy ranks first among all quarterbacks in expected points added per play, first in completion percentage, second in success rate and second in completion percentage over expectation.
Meanwhile, Purdy’s quarterback rating of 77.6 for the season is a career best, and while he does not qualify because he has played in only eight games, it would also be the best mark in the league. Purdy’s play has lived up to the massive five-year, $265 million contract extension he signed before the season, a deal that was also being questioned amid Jones’ success.
Now, all that stands between San Francisco and the top seed in the conference is a rematch with the Seahawks, whom Purdy and the 49ers defeated on the road in Week 1. If Purdy continues to play as he has over the last six weeks, San Francisco may be the NFC’s best bet to win a championship.
Source: “AOL Sports”
