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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that Brock Purdy will reclaim the starting role once he's cleared to play, despite Mac Jones' performance in his absence, while addressing the quarterback decision on Wednesday (November 13).
"It's not a hard decision," Shanahan told reporters via NBC Sports Bay Area. “It’s just more about Brock’s health. It’s been awesome how Mac has played. He has been great. But, we’ve got a lot of confidence in Brock and we know Brock will play at a high level too as long as he’s healthy.”
Jones, a former first-round pick by the New England Patriots in 2021, has thrown for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions on 201 of 289 passing, while leading the Niners to a 5-3 record in eight starts. Purdy, who had previously led San Francisco to a Super Bowl appearance during his second season, signed a five-year, $265 million extension this past offseason, but has missed several games due to a lingering turf toe injury he initially suffered in Week 1 and attempted to return from in Week 4 before once again being ruled out.
“We all know how good Brock has played in the past. I think he played really good vs. Seattle, and I think he struggled vs. Jacksonville, which is why we shouldn’t have brought him back then,” Shanahan said via NBC Sports Bay Area. “And I know when Brock comes back, he will play the same way he always has – like a very high-level quarterback.”