Mac Jones

49ers Working Out QBs Amidst Injuries In The Room

October 10th, 2025 at 9:29pm CST by Ely Allen

A lengthy 49ers injury report this week gave some context to a workout today that included three quarterbacks. Starter Brock Purdy has already been ruled out for this weekend after missing practice all week, and primary backup passer Mac Jones is questionable after being a limited participant in every session this week. This leaves only one fully healthy option on the roster.

It’s still assumed that Jones should be good to go on Sunday, but if he isn’t, Adrian Martinez will be waiting in the wings for the opportunity to make his NFL debut. But if the team’s injury luck continues to disappoint, some planning ahead would certainly be worthwhile. To that end, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, San Francisco hosted three quarterbacks — Desmond Ridder, Nathan Peterman, and Quinten Dormady — for a workout today.

Oddly enough, Ridder, the youngest of the three, was the most experienced passer at the tryout. Over two years in Atlanta, Ridder started 17 contests, including most of the 2023 season. He went 8-9 as a starter for the Falcons, only throwing around 187 yards per game with 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

Despite being drafted five years before Ridder, Peterman has appeared in fewer games than Ridder has starts. In two seasons apiece with the Bills, Raiders, and Bears, Peterman has made five starts in 15 appearances, going 1-4 in his starts. After completing only 52.3 percent of his passes in Buffalo and throwing only three touchdowns to 12 interceptions, Peterman’s opportunities have been few and far between. In his 2018 season alone, he threw more touchdowns to opposing defenses than he did his own team. He failed to make an appearance in both the 2019 and 2024 seasons.

If Dormady was signed, it would be his first NFL contract. Transferring out of Tennessee after three years in college, Dormady spent a year at Houston before transferring again to Central Michigan, where he was finally able to play most of a season as a starter for the Chippewas. After an average season at CMU, Dormady went undrafted and signed briefly to a Canadian Football League practice roster. After off and on stints in Montreal, he became a backup for Paxton Lynch in the XFL. He eventually overtook Lynch for the starting job and, when the XFL folded, found his way to the UFL as a backup in San Antonio and Memphis before, ultimately, announcing his retirement from the sport.

While his presence at the tryout makes it seem very likely that he would unretire for a chance at the NFL, no contracts were signed after today’s auditions. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, Purdy was seen at practice pushing a weight sled, which sounds like some pretty serious work for his injured toe, and Jones was throwing today after staying away from that activity earlier in the week. Both players are clearly on the mend with hopes that other help will be on the way, as well.

For now, until there’s any word to the contrary, it’ll be Jones under center when the 49ers host Tampa this weekend, and Martinez will be ready and waiting on the sideline. As long as Purdy stays on track and Jones stays healthy enough, a contract for Ridder, Peterman, or Dormady may not be necessary.

Brock Purdy Likely Out For Week 6; Mac Jones Expected To Start

October 9th, 2025 at 10:44pm CST by Connor Byrne

It appears that 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy‘s toe injury will force him to sit out again this week. Purdy did not practice on Thursday, setting up backup Mac Jones to start against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

San Francisco is heading into Tampa Bay for a battle of 4-1 NFC contenders, but the 49ers’ success has come despite limited contributions from Purdy. After securing a five-year, $265MM contract extension in May, turf toe has held Purdy out of three games this season. The former Mr. Irrelevant has completed 48 of 73 passes (65.8%) for 586 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions while winning one of two starts this year. He last played in a loss to the Jaguars in Week 4.

Jones, who joined the 49ers on a two-year, $7MM deal last March, has looked like one of the shrewdest signings of the offseason so far. The ex-Patriots first-round pick and multiyear starter has hit on 86 of 129 passes (66.7%) for 905 yards, six TDs, and a pick while helping the 49ers to a 3-0 record. Jones racked up 342 yards and two scores in a Week 5 victory over the NFC West rival Rams, but he hardly escaped L.A. unscathed.

Now nursing knee and oblique injuries, Jones was a limited participant in practice on Thursday. Although head coach Kyle Shanahan said Jones was unable to throw on Thursday (via Jerry McDonald of the Mercury News), he added that his No. 2 signal-caller “should be able to go on Sunday.”

With Purdy and Jones banged up, Adrian Martinez received reps with the first-team offense on Thursday. He’s in line to back up Jones for the fourth time this year. Previously with the Jets, who cut him in August, Martinez hasn’t seen any regular-season action since he entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent from Kansas State in 2023. The 49ers signed Martinez from their practice squad to their active roster a week ago.

Mac Jones Battling PCL Sprain; Brock Purdy Likely To Return In Week 4?

September 25th, 2025 at 7:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

SEPTEMBER 25: Nothing is certain at this point regarding the 49ers’ Week 4 quarterback situation, but the team could have two healthy passers to choose from. Purdy was a limited practice participant Wednesday and again today, and he said (via ESPN’s Nick Wagoner) he is happy with his recovery progress. Jones, meanwhile, stated (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic) he will be ready to play if needed on Sunday.

SEPTEMBER 22: Facing perennial issues keeping key players healthy, the 49ers have two injured quarterbacks entering Week 4. Mac Jones joins Brock Purdy in rehabbing an injury.

Jones aggravated a PCL sprain Sunday, informing reporters (including NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) of the malady — one he initially sustained during training camp. Jones was not on San Francisco’s injury report last week, but it sounds like he will be for Week 4. Fortunately for the 49ers, they look to have a good chance of seeing Purdy back in action by then.

Logging three limited practices last week while recovering from an AC joint sprain and turf toe, Purdy has submitted a better-than-anticipated recovery effort, Rapoport adds. This puts a Week 4 return against the Jaguars firmly in play, after Purdy had been rumored to be available in case of emergency days before Week 3. That did not end up being the case, with the 49ers ruling out their starter.

Purdy has now missed three career starts due to injury — the past two weeks and Week 18 of the 2024 season — after seeing a Jimmy Garoppolo injury launch his stunning ascent. The 49ers have been without Purdy, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings and Ben Bartch on offense. They improved to 3-0 under these circumstances, beating the Saints and Cardinals, but their Nick Bosa loss represents a more significant issue. Having Purdy back should help the cause, though the 49ers are again battered by maladies at an early-season juncture.

Four years after being closely linked to the 49ers during the pre-draft process, Jones joined the team on a two-year, $7MM deal. He delivered back-to-back wins, following a three-touchdown performance in New Orleans with a 284-yard, one-TD showing in a 16-15 win over Arizona. Benched in New England and traded to Jacksonville as a clear backup, Jones has given the 49ers an upgrade at the QB2 position. Considering the injury trouble the franchise has run into at QB during Shanahan’s tenure, that is rather important. Jones probably raised his stock during this stretch, but in signing a two-year deal, no near-future path to a starting role elsewhere is on the horizon.

As for Bosa, Shanahan said (via the San Jose Mercury News’ Cam Inman) the former Defensive Player of the Year suffered a clean ACL tear. Bosa came back on time after his September 2020 ACL tear, playing 17 games in 2021 to lead a 49ers resurgence. The 49ers will hope this largely Bosa-less season goes far better than their injury-riddled 2020 campaign — a 6-10 slate that also included an extensive Garoppolo absence — and having Purdy back soon would be a good sign for the long-running contender.

Mac Jones To Start Week 3; Brock Purdy Potentially Available In Case Of Emergency

September 19th, 2025 at 7:41pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Brock Purdy‘s return to practice this week inspired some hope that he could suit up for the 49ers in Week 3, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Matt Barrows of The Athletic) that it is “highly unlikely” he starts on Sunday. Instead, it will be Mac Jones under center in San Francisco against the Cardinals.

Purdy missed Week 2 due to injuries to his toe and shoulder. The shoulder issue no longer seems to be preventing him from playing, but the fourth-year quarterback practiced in a limited capacity for the last three days as the toe continued to ail him. His comments on Thursday suggested that he could be a game-time decision, depending on how he feels on Sunday.

Instead, it appears that decision will be made on Saturday, when the team is required to make roster decisions like inactives and practice squad elevations. Shanahan indicated that Purdy could still be active as the team’s second- or third-string quarterback, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Pelissero’s partner at NFL Network, Ian Rapoport, expanded on that topic, explaining that, while a QB2 role may be a possibility, a QB3 role as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option makes far more sense.

If it’s determined tomorrow that Purdy can’t go or that he can only suit up as an emergency quarterback, practice squad passer Adrian Martinez will, once again, be called on to back up Jones. How they do that will be determined by Purdy’s situation. If Purdy is unable to suit up, Martinez would simply need to be designated a standard gameday practice squad elevation as he was last week. If Purdy suits up with the intention to serve in an emergency role, Martinez would need to be signed to the 53-man roster, since emergency third quarterbacks need to be on the active roster.

In other injury news, two rookies were injured in practice yesterday, per Barrows. While seventh-round guard Connor Colby is only listed as questionable with a groin injury, fourth-round wide receiver Jordan Watkins is reportedly a candidate for injured reserve with a calf injury.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Mac Jones Rejected Better Offers To Join 49ers; Brock Purdy Unlikely To Return In Week 3

September 14th, 2025 at 11:52am CST by Sam Robinson

One of the more fascinating QB debuts with a team in recent memory will take place today, with Mac Jones starting for a 49ers team that strongly considered drafting him four years ago. Jones circling back to the 49ers this offseason did not receive tremendous attention, given Brock Purdy‘s unquestioned QB1 status, but it is now quite relevant due to the starter’s injuries.

With Purdy sidelined due to a shoulder injury and a bout with turf toe, Jones is stepping in. Jones joined the 49ers on a two-year, $7MM deal that included $4.75MM guaranteed at signing. This was not believed to be the former first-rounder’s top offer, with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini noting the ex-Patriots and Jaguars passer rejected bigger offers to sign with the Niners.

Jones’ market did not produce connections to other teams before his March 12 San Francisco commitment, but he will follow the Sam Darnold reset path as Purdy’s backup. Darnold played out the 2023 season as the 49ers’ QB2, and the $4.5MM contract worked as a springboard to better opportunities. Jones produced a better pre-San Francisco season than anything Darnold offered, via the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up campaign that led New England to the playoffs, though his steep freefall since that point differs from Darnold’s early-career path.

The Jags acquired Jones from the Pats for just a sixth-round pick and needed him for seven 2024 starts due to Trevor Lawrence injuries. Not particularly impressive (8:8 TD-INT ratio, 6.4 yards per attempt) with a 4-13 team, Jones still commanded the 49ers’ attention. Considering the franchise’s interest in the former national championship-winning Alabama arm four years ago, it was unsurprising to see Kyle Shanahan revisit him via free agency.

Plenty has come out about Shanahan’s Jones interest in 2021, and Russini reaffirms the 49ers’ blockbuster trade-up move (via the Dolphins) came with Jones in mind. Shanahan has said the 49ers were considering Jones and Trey Lance that year; the 49ers’ John Lynch– and Adam Peters-led front office has long been believed to have talked Shanahan out of Jones at No. 3 due to the better value (at the time, at least) Lance brought. Lance never proved a fit in Shanahan’s offense and was sent to Dallas for a fourth-round pick months after the 49ers signed Darnold.

Considering Shanahan’s success with Purdy and Jimmy Garoppolo in San Francisco (and other QBs during his OC stops), it is fairly safe to assume Jones would have been better served by being a 49ers draftee rather than going 15th to the Patriots. Bill Belichick‘s penultimate year as Pats HC involved a bizarre move to install Matt Patricia as the primary offensive play-caller, and Jones — whose Belichick relationship was not exactly strong — could not recapture his rookie-year form under Bill O’Brien in 2023. Jones ended that season on the bench, as the Patriots closed out the Belichick era with Bailey Zappe at the controls.

The 49ers’ trade without a consensus on where to go at No. 3 was always a bit odd, even if the Lawrence-Zach Wilson order atop the draft was well known by the time the team pulled the trigger on a deal that sent two first-rounders and a third to Miami. Jones, 27, now has a chance to craft a midcareer resurgence of sorts. It will be interesting to see how Jones looks given the downward trajectory his career has taken since a promising rookie slate. The 49ers not having George Kittle available will hurt the fifth-year QB’s cause, but the team will have Jauan Jennings after the wideout was questionable with a shoulder injury.

Purdy is not viewed as likely to suit up in Week 3 against the Cardinals, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, even though the recently extended passer “progressed a lot” this week. Indeed, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds the 49ers believe the turf toe injury Purdy is battling is not as significant as first thought. This puts Week 4 (against the Jaguars) in play for a Purdy return. Though, the two- to five-week timetable initially given to the fourth-year starter could certainly point to caution on the 49ers’ part.

QB Brock Purdy Ruled Out For Week 2

September 12th, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 12: Purdy has officially been ruled out for the 49ers’ Week 2 trip to New Orleans. Jones will step in as QB1. With Purdy unable to practice, Jones has been taking all of the first-team reps this week. With rookie seventh-rounder Kurtis Rourke still in a likely redshirt year after starting the year on the reserve/non-football injury list while he recovers from ACL repair surgery, San Francisco is planning to elevate former Nebraska and Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez from the practice squad.

SEPTEMBER 10: Early-season injuries continue to pile up for the 49ers. Quarterback Brock Purdy is unlikely to be available for San Francisco’s Week 2 contest.

Purdy is dealing with a shoulder injury suffered during the team’s season opener along with turf toe. When speaking to the media on Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan said (via Vic Tafur of The Athletic) Purdy will not practice today. More importantly, he added it is currently considered a “long shot” the recently-extended passer will be available on Sunday.

Any missed time in Purdy’s case would of course deal a notable blow to the 49ers’ offense, and it appears this situation may not only entail a one-week absence. Shanahan said (via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport) Purdy could miss multiple games while recovering. For the time being, attention will turn to backup QB Mac Jones and his ability to lead a unit which is notably shorthanded.

Tight end George Kittle will be sidelined for at least the next four weeks due to a hamstring injury. Top receiver Brandon Aiyuk, meanwhile, continues to recover from last year’s ACL and MCL tears; he opened the season on the reserve/PUP list. As a result, Aiyuk will not be available until Week 5 at the earliest. Losing Purdy for any period of time will weaken an offense already lacking its top pass-catching options.

Injuries to Trey Lance and then Jimmy Garoppolo opened the door for Purdy to take over starting duties during his rookie season. The former ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ thrived in the QB1 role, and by the time the 2025 offseason arrived it was clear he was viewed as San Francisco’s preferred option for a long-term commitment. Extension talks resulted a five-year, $265MM deal being worked out in May. Purdy later stated resetting the QB market was not his intention during negotiations.

Still, at an average annual value of $53MM, the 25-year-old’s accord carries substantial expectations. Purdy is on the books through 2030. As such, a cautious approach with respect to his injury rehab on the part of the 49ers can of course be expected.

Jones joined the 49ers in free agency this spring. The former first-rounder failed to duplicate the success of his rookie season with the Patriots, and a trade to the Jaguars allowed for a fresh start in 2024. Jones made seven starts while filling in for the injured Trevor Lawrence, giving him a total of 49 in his career. That figure is now set to increase.

49ers To Sign QB Nate Sudfeld

August 19th, 2025 at 5:44pm CST by Ben Levine

With Mac Jones nursing a knee injury, the 49ers are adding a familiar face to their roster. According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, the team is signing quarterback Nate Sudfeld. The veteran QB worked out for the team yesterday.

Sudfeld spent the 2021 campaign in the 49ers organization. After starting the season on the practice squad, he was elevated to the active roster after Trey Lance went down with a knee injury. Sudfeld stuck around for the rest of the season, although he didn’t get into a game as Jimmy Garoppolo‘s backup.

A former sixth-round pick, Sudfeld still hasn’t started a game through his eight seasons in the NFL. He did have an extended outing with the Eagles in 2017, when he completed 19 of his 23 pass attempts for 134 yards. Otherwise, the QB has attempted 14 other passes in his NFL career.

The veteran spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons in Detroit, although he missed that latter campaign thanks to a torn ACL suffered during a preseason game. He was among the Lions final cuts at the end of the 2024 preseason.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo notes that Jones suffered his knee injury during Saturday’s loss to the Broncos, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the QB2 is out for the team’s preseason finale. Still, there’s hope that Jones will be ready to be Brock Purdy‘s primary backup for Week 1. If Jones can’t go, Sudfeld would be an option to be the QB2, although he’d have to compete with UDFA Carter Bradley. Seventh-round rookie Kurtis Rourke is expected to start the season on NFI as he works his way back from a torn ACL.

49ers QB Notes: Purdy, Jones, Rourke

May 20th, 2025 at 9:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The 49ers have made Brock Purdy‘s extension official, as the team announced the new five-year deal earlier this evening.

“Brock is a tremendous leader and a fantastic representative for the 49ers organization, and we are ecstatic to get this deal done,” said GM John Lynch. “When we took him with the last pick in the Draft, we knew he had potential to succeed in this league, but we had no idea how special of a player he would become. He has played at an exceptionally high level since taking over the starting job, and we look forward to seeing him continue to lead this team for years to come.”

Purdy’s five-year, $265MM deal includes $181MM in guaranteed money, including $100MM locked in up front. With the deal settling in at a $53MM average annual value, Purdy wasn’t able to crack the top five AAVs at his position. Still, the contract includes a favorable short-term cash structure and a no-trade clause, reinforcing the franchise’s belief in the former Mr. Irrelevant.

Elsewhere on the depth chart, Mac Jones was added this offseason to serve as Purdy’s primary backup. The 2021 first-round pick has struggled to live up to a promising rookie campaign. He was ditched by the Patriots after only three seasons, and he had to settle for a backup gig in Jacksonville for the 2024 campaign. He ended up getting seven starts while filling in for Trevor Lawrence, and that performance earned him another chance as a QB2 in San Francisco.

While the 49ers obviously don’t have much of a long-term opening for Jones, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak still believes his quarterback has enough to be a starter again in the NFL.

“Going back to college, we obviously studied Mac coming out, and we thought very highly of him and his skillset as a thrower and the things he did in college,” Kubiak said last week (via Joel Soria of NBC Sports Bay Area). “… And then, obviously, as a rookie, what he did in the NFL was very impressive. Mac’s a really good thrower. He stands in the pocket, he’s a strong guy and he’s really smart. And so he’s got a lot of traits that we like for a starting quarterback.”

On the bottom of the depth chart, the 49ers are considering a pair of inexperienced players. Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle expects rookie seventh-round pick Kurtis Rourke to have a redshirt rookie season. The QB could be stashed on IR as he continues to recover from offseason surgery on a partially torn ACL. In that scenario, former UDFA Tanner Mordecai would likely make the roster as the third quarterback.

QB Mac Jones Headed To 49ers

March 12th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Former first-round quarterback Mac Jones will play for a third team after finishing out his rookie deal in Jacksonville. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jones is headed to San Francisco, where he will serve as the 49ers’ backup quarterback behind Brock Purdy. Jones joins the team on a two-year, $7MM deal that includes $5MM guaranteed and could be worth up to $11.5MM with incentives.

After being drafted 15th overall out of Alabama by the Patriots in 2021, Jones hit the ground running, starting every game as a rookie. He led New England to the playoffs with a 10-7 record, throwing for 3,801 passing yards for 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, earning himself a Pro Bowl bid and projecting ample hope for Patriots fans about their long-term future.

Unfortunately, that success didn’t last. In the 14 starts of his sophomore campaign, Jones failed to reach 3,000 passing yards while going 6-8 and throwing only 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. In his third season (and with his third offensive coordinator), Jones and the Patriots started the season 2-9 before he ultimately got benched for Bailey Zappe. In those 11 starts, he threw only 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

Last year saw Jones traded to Jacksonville for the 2024 campaign, where he would officially start the year as a backup to Trevor Lawrence. When Lawrence went down with an AC joint sprain, Jones was relied upon as the starter for the remainder of the season. In those eight games down the back half of the season, the Jaguars went 2-6 as Jones threw for 1,672 yards and eight touchdowns with eight interceptions.

In San Francisco, Jones will be QB2 once again. The 49ers saw the contracts of both Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen expire this offseason, with Dobbs actually signing to Jones’ former team in New England. Purdy had been fairly consistent health-wise in his first two seasons, but he did miss two games last year.

In any case, the 49ers continue to do well in putting extremely capable backups behind Purdy in case of disaster. It’s actually quite interesting to see Jones join up with head coach Kyle Shanahan as there were reports back in 2021 that Jones was the preferred option of Shanahan over Trey Lance, whom the team drafted third overall that year.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence Could Miss Remainder Of Season

November 10th, 2024 at 8:05am CST by Rory Parks

Earlier this week, it was reported that Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was likely to miss his club’s Week 10 matchup with the Vikings today. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms that Lawrence will indeed be sidelined for the Minnesota contest, and it is possible that the former No. 1 overall pick will be out for the remainder of the season.

As Rapoport details, Lawrence has a significant AC joint sprain. The ailment is to his left (non-throwing) shoulder, though it can make throwing, and even basic functioning, difficult. While the current plan is for the Clemson product to simply rest and rehab the injury, surgery remains a distinct possibility.

Such a decision would naturally force Lawrence to miss the balance of the 2024 campaign. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the 25-year-old passer is still gathering information about his options, one of which includes a premature end to his season.

If Lawrence is unable to suit up again in 2024, it would likely not have too much of an impact on Jacksonville’s immediate fortunes. The 2-7 outfit has almost no chance of qualifying for the playoffs, and the Jags will therefore want to be extra cautious with their high-priced signal-caller, who signed a five-year, $275MM extension in June.

However, should the losses continue to pile up, it becomes even more likely that head coach Doug Pederson and GM Trent Baalke will be fired. Owner Shad Khan voiced his support for both men last month, but Khan also called this year’s roster the best in franchise history, and as the club has struggled even with its QB1 in the lineup, it would not be a surprise if Khan opted for an organizational overhaul.

Mac Jones, an offseason trade acquisition, will get the call in Lawrence’s absence. The former first-round pick of the Patriots, who finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, saw the early stages of his career undermined by New England’s coaching and schematic maneuvers the following season. With the Pats holding the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft and wanting to start afresh with a new coaching regime and a new quarterback, Jones was dealt to his native Jacksonville in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

Now 26, Jones did have to hold off C.J. Beathard for the Jags’ backup gig over the summer (Beathard is now back on the team after Jacksonville recently signed him from the Dolphins’ taxi squad in the wake of Lawrence’s injury). Jones has thrown just nine passes this season, but he is in a contract year, and he could have a real chance to build some momentum down the stretch as he tries to position himself for at least a shot at a starting gig somewhere in 2025.

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