"I believe in riding the hot hand": Brian Baldinger gives clear verdict on 49ers' Brock Purdy vs. Mac Jones dilemma ahead of Week 6 Bucs clash

Mac Jones and Brock Purdy
Mac Jones and Brock Purdy

The San Francisco 49ers have walked themselves into a dilemma at the quarterback position. Do they return to regular starter Brock Purdy or stay with backup quarterback Mac Jones, who has been performing well over the last few weeks.

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NFL analyst Brian Baldinger made it clear who he thinks the 49ers should have as their starting quarterback.

“It’s not a knock on Brock. If he’s not 95% healthy, why put him out there? If Mac wins a fourth game against a very good Tampa Bay team, then I would definitely leave him in at this point. I believe in riding the hot hand. You have to win as many games as you possibly can, however you do it and you cannot worry about any player’s egos or anything else. Mac’s playing great football right now and I wouldn’t be in a hurry to make that change.”, said Baldinger.
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Baldinger believes that the 49ers should not make a change at quarterback for their week six matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mac Jones has been able to step into the role left by an injured Brock Purdy and set up the 49ers as contenders for the NFC West title. With Jones, San Francisco has not lost a game, and the quarterback has amazed many who thought that his career would be over after his less than steller years with the New England Patriots. This was on full show during the 49ers overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams, where Jones threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns.

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As for Purdy, he is recovering for his injury and made a return as the starting quarterback for the 49ers game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. This would be a game they would lose, with Purdy throwing for two interceptions.

Baldinger sees the decision as a simple one. Jones is currently the in form quarterback and is in the strongest position to defeat a Tampa Bay team that could very much be Super Bowl contenders this year.

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Are the 49ers about to have a quarterback battle?

The current performances of the 49ers quarterbacks have raised the idea of a potential quarterback battle between Mac Jones and Brock Purdy.

During his apperance on "The Pat McAfee Show " on Monday, NFL insider Adam Schefter put water on this idea, saying:

'He's (Mac Jones) got a two-year contract, so he's gonna be there for a couple of years, unless, all of a sudden, he's got value. But Brock Purdy, they just paid, and he's going to be the guy."

Purdy is the established quarterback for the 49ers, and his absence has only been due to an injury. While Jones has been a good backup, it is extremely unlikely that the 49ers will ever see him as anything other than that. They have committed to Purdy for the long run and have no plans to change this.

49ers Fans! Check out the latest San Francisco 49ers Schedule and dive into the 49ers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Ben Tredinnick
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