While the preseason isn't necessarily a clear-cut way to determine how a team will do in the regular season, it can provide analysis and observations as to a team's needs or glaring hole.
Going 1-1 in their first two preseason games, the San Francisco 49ers are hoping to make the most of their third and final one.
On Saturday, the Niners will host the Los Angeles Chargers at Levi's Stadium in the exhibition finale. It is more than likely head coach Kyle Shanahan's starters won't play much. Thus, this would be the perfect opportunity to allow the backups to get reps, including at the quarterback position.
The 49ers [didn't get much production](https://ninernoise.com/preseason-nightmare-costs-49ers-qb-harsh-roster-shake-up) from third-string QBs Tanner Mordecai or Carter Bradley against the Denver Broncos, and the Niners were convinced they had seen enough and cut Mordecai shortly thereafter.
Bradley fared better against the Las Vegas Raiders than he did against the Broncos, going 8-of-13 with 96 yards in the air but failed to score. In the previous preseason bout against Denver, he went 6-of-14 and recorded just 32 passing yards and an interception.
49ers can't expect Mac Jones to resurrect career off the bench
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Now with his third team, Mac Jones, the former first-round pick of the New England Patriots was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023. Last offseason, Jones came to the Niners on a two-year deal.
While that's worked wonders for the likes of Joshua Dobbs and Sam Darnold the past couple of years, those two quarterbacks are veterans who came to the Bay Area with a lengthier resume than Jones did.
He is used to taking over for an injured starting quarterback. That's how Jones got the playing time with the Jags last season to be able to throw for 1,672 yards, eight scores and just as many picks.
In two preseason games, the former Pats quarterback has thrown an interception in each. Furthermore, Jones has not connected with a receiver for a touchdown yet. In fact, all three of the 49ers' backup quarterbacks were picked off in the 30-9 loss to the Denver Broncos.
While there's still one more preseason game for the Niners, Jones will not be playing on Saturday against the Bolts as he's dealing with a minor knee injury that's expected to keep him out until the regular season, leaving Bradley and the [recently re-signed Mordecai](https://ninernoise.com/latest-49ers-roster-move-confuse-everyone-unless-another-injury) to handle duties.
San Francisco drafted Kurtis Rouke out of Indiana in Round 7 last April, but he’s still on the mend from a collegiate ACL tear and might redshirt his rookie season.
The 49ers have more hurt backups than viable options, should anything happen to their starter, Brock Purdy. As history has shown the NFC West juggarnauts in recent years, the injury bug bites hard when it strikes.
If John Lynch and the rest of the 49ers' front office invested a little bit more time, energy, and money into their backup quarterbacks, San Francisco would have a solid solution in place behind Purdy.
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