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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Michael Kadlick

Mac Jones Leads Second Game-Winning Drive in Three Starts, Fuels 49ers QB Controversy

Mac Jones 49ers Brock Purdy Kyle Shanahan NFL Christian McCaffery Trey Lance Football San Francisco (Organization)

The 49ers are 4-1 to begin the 2025 NFL season, and it's pretty much all thanks to Mac Jones.

The quarterback, who has been under center for three of San Francisco's first five games this year as starter Brock Purdy deals with a turf toe injury, led his team on a second game-winning drive in as many starts to capture a 26-23 win over the division rival Rams.

Jones went 33-for-49 passing on the night for 342 yards and two touchdowns, finding his old Patriots teammate Kendrick Bourne on 10 of them for 142. His touchdown hurls—both of which came in the first half—were to tight end Jake Tonges and running back Christian McCaffery.

What a performance from the 27-year-old.

NFL World Reacts to Mac Jones, 49ers OT Win Over Rams

When San Francisco traded up to the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the rumor was they had their eyes on Jones. A cerebral passer, the Alabama Crimson Tide alumnus was seen to be a perfect fit for head coach Kyle Shanahan's West Coast offense. Instead, however, the team took Trey Lance out of North Dakota State—and we all know how that went.

Together at last, Shanahan and Jones have some in the NFL world calling for Jones to be the 49ers' permanent starting quarterback, even with the $265 million dollar man Brock Purdy waiting in the wings.

Here are some of the best reactions to Jones' performance from X (formerly Twitter):

The 49ers, now 4-1, will head to Tampa Bay in Week 7 to take on the Buccaneers. The Oct. 12 kickoff from Raymond James Stadium is set for 4:25 p.m. ET.

More NFL on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mac Jones Leads Second Game-Winning Drive in Three Starts, Fuels 49ers QB Controversy.

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