It’s no secret that one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL in 2024 was the San Francisco 49ers. Coached by Kyle Shanahan, they missed the playoffs – and not just that – they finished last in the NFC West. This came just one season after nearly beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
Despite all that and ending the season with four straight losses, the San Francisco 49ers reached an agreement with their quarterback, Brock Purdy, who – amid much criticism – signed an impressive five-year, $265 million deal that ties him to the team through the 2030 season.
If Brock Purdy plays like he did in 2022 and 2023, the 49ers will have made the right choice. But if he performs like he did in 2024 – when he raised many doubts by struggling to close games – then San Francisco might have just signed the end of the John Lynch era as GM and Kyle Shanahan as Head Coach. It’s a high-stakes gamble.
Brock Purdy will have “competition”
In the 2021 Draft, the New England Patriots selected Mac Jones in the first round. The Alabama product had a strong rookie year, led the Pats to the playoffs, and earned a Pro Bowl nod. At the time, it looked like they had found Tom Brady’s successor – but it all fell apart.
The following year, the Patriots collapsed and became one of the worst franchises in the NFL, eventually trading Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars – a team just as bad, if not worse, than New England. Now, the quarterback has a new opportunity with a contending team after signing with the 49ers. But he’ll have to wait his turn, and that turn may never come.
The 49ers are fully committed to Brock Purdy – that’s why they paid him what they did. But in the NFL, injuries are always a factor, and that’s where Mac Jones might get his shot. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently analyzed Jones’s chances.
“This will be the best offensive infrastructure Jones has played in since his time at Alabama,” writes Barnwell. “The question is whether he ever sees the field. There has been a need for a reliable backup in San Francisco, even after Purdy’s rise. Purdy suffered a serious elbow injury in the 2022 NFC Championship Game, left a 2023 loss to the Ravens with a neck stinger, and missed two games in 2024 with shoulder and elbow injuries.”
“Jones probably isn’t going to win the job in those moments from the now-$265 million quarterback, but don’t be surprised if he plays well enough to earn a bigger opportunity on his next deal in 2026.”
Let’s not forget that in that 2021 Draft, the 49ers selected Trey Lance – in fact, they traded up to get him – and it turned out to be a total bust. Later, it leaked that Kyle Shanahan had actually liked Mac Jones. Funny how life works: now he has him, but Jones will have to wait on the sidelines to see if his moment ever arrives.
Read the full article here
