The 49ers are battling an injury headache in the QB position with second-string Mac Jones now battling two separate knocks
06:34 ET, 12 Oct 2025
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones
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The San Francisco 49ers have a QB dilemma on their hands(Image: AP)
The 49ers’ quarterback situation has raised eyebrows this week, with backup Mac Jones now listed as “questionable” ahead of Sunday’s game after picking up a knock.
The clash with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is set to give the 49ers a QB headache with news that Mac Jones has been struggling with a lingering oblique injury, although sources say he’s still expected to play through the issue.
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Meanwhile, star starter Brock Purdy remains side-lined this weekend as he continues to battle with an toe injury, leaving the team leaning on Jones once again in his absence. Jones, in contrast, is dealing with both knee and oblique issues, which limited his practice participation midweek, having played through the knee injury during last week’s game against the LA Rams.
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According to ESPN, even though Jones carries the questionable tag, the expectation is that he will line-out on Sunday, despite his injuries.
Despite him being the second choice, Jones has put in some convincing performances for the 49ers. In the three games the 27-year-old has played in, San Francisco have won each one.
Jones’ most recent outing showed how valuable he remains under the pressure of stepping up over Purdy. In a win against the Los Angeles Rams, he completed 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns while battling with the two injuries.
Earlier in the week, Shanahan acknowledged that Jones’ may not be able to start, but noted that the team feels “pretty good about where he’s going to be at.”
Mac Jones
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Mac Jones is thought to still be playing this weekend despite the injury(Image: AP)
Although with Jones’ success there has been talk that tension has built between the two QB’s with Purdy having to patiently watch from the side-lines.
Addressing the rumours earlier in the week, 49ers GM John Lynch said: "I do wholeheartedly believe that Brock is nothing but happy for our team. He's working his tail off to try to get back, and I think we all feel blessed and fortunate we found a backup who can go in and play like a starter."
Something Jones himself echoed: “They brought me here to play as a backup, and that's my job.
Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers
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Brock Purdy has been battling with a toe injury since game 1(Image: Getty Images)
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"Brock's the starter of this team, and right now he's dealing with something. For him to go out there last week and play when you know he probably wasn't at full health, he cares about this team. I'm just trying to get some wins for him so it helps us down the line."
As for Purdy, he’s continuing his recovery from the toe injury he suffered in Week 1 sources suggest there’s a chance Purdy could return next week for the game against the Falcons, depending on how his rehab progresses this week.
If Jones is unable to go on Sunday, the 49ers have a backup plan, third-string QB Adrian Martinez who was recently promoted to the active roster, could be thrown into the action.