Shannon Sharpe, Richard Sherman, and others call for the San Francisco 49ers to bench Brock Purdy in favor of Mac Jones after his three first half interceptions on Monday night Football
21:26 ET, 24 Nov 2025Updated 21:52 ET, 24 Nov 2025
Brock Purdy
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Brock Purdy struggled against an average Panthers defense(Image: Getty Images)
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy — back in the lineup for a second straight week after missing time with a toe injury ± became the first QB of the 2025 season to throw three half interceptions.
The former seventh-round pick turned $265 million man was picked twice by Carolina Panthers star cornerback Jaycee Horn — sandwiched around an interception by Mike Jackson — before the six-minute mark in the second quarter.
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A chorus of observers on X — including Shannon Sharpe — chimed in, urging 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan to turn to the recently relegated Mac Jones to replace the struggling Purdy.
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"Mac Jones, get ready. Purdy is awful 2nite," Sharp tweeted. Barstool's Big Cat agreed. "Mac Jones time," he posted.
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San Francisco managed to escape to halftime with a 10-3 lead. "49ers Defense bails out Brock Purdy after his 3rd INT of the day," former 49ers All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman tweeted. "He’s going to have to turn his aggressiveness down substantially for the rest of this game."
A host of NFL reporters also hinted that Jones should come out. "Mac Jones up on the bullpen yet?" wrote NFL.com's Kevin Patra. "Mac Jones? Anyone?" tweeted ESPN Draft guru Matt Miller. ESPN's Ben Solak tweeted a GIF of Jones winking from 2021.
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Shanahan seemed to wave away murmurs that he was making a change with a decisive pre-halftime interview with ESPN reporter Lisa Salters.
When asked what he'll tell Purdy at halftime, the longtime 49ers coach said, "Nothing. The ball's going in the right spot," before adding that his quarterback is "playing great besides the three interceptions." Purdy finished the half having completed 14 of his 23 passes for 114 yards and a score (along with the three picks).
Mac Jones
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Brock Purdy (L) and Mac Jones (R) front the 49ers QB room(Image: Getty Images)
Jones was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. After a strong rookie campaign that resulted in a playoff birth, he slumped in his second and third campaigns before the team opted to replace him with Drake Maye.
He spent 2024 as Trevor Lawrence's backup with the Jacksonville Jaguars before inking a one-year pact with San Francisco this offseason.
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Jones has managed a 5-3 record with a skeleton crew around him in his 20245 appearances, completing 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards with a 13-6 touchdown-interception ratio. His 64.6 QBR ranks ninth in the NFL.
Purdy emerged as the 49ers started midway through the 2022 season after early-season injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo. He led San Francisco to a Super Bowl apperance in his second season.