Kyle Shanahan Assesses Difficulty of Starting Quarterback Decision When Brock Purdy Returns

Purdy has been in and out of the lineup most of the season due to a toe injury.

Kyle Shanahan will have a decision to make at quarterback when Brock Purdy returns to full health. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The 49ers are 6-4 through 10 games, managing to keep their season afloat despite losing starting quarterback Brock Purdy to a toe injury for much of the year thus far.

Veteran backup quarterback Mac Jones has performed well in Purdy's absence, completing 69.6% of his passes in eight games, while throwing for 2,151 yards and 13 touchdowns to six interceptions.

Despite his strong play, head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that the decision on who to start once Purdy is healthy won't be a difficult one.

"It's not a hard decision," Shanahan told the media. "It's just more about Brock's health. It's been awesome how Mac has played. He has been great. But we have a lot of confidence in Brock and we know Brock will play at a high level too as long as he's healthy."

Purdy, is indeed, San Francisco's franchise quarterback. He's gone from Mr. Irrelevant in the 2022 NFL draft to one of the highest-paid players in football. In 42 career games, he's completed 67.4% of his passes for 10,104 yards and 68 touchdowns to 31 interceptions.

When he returns, he'll be the starter. But if he struggles, expect Niners fans to be clamoring for the insertion of Jones back into the lineup.

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