Whenever a backup quarterback steps in and shines, the conversation naturally shifts to the dynamic between the starter and the fill-in. For the San Francisco 49ers, that storyline now centers on Mac Jones, who has been filling in for injured starter Brock Purdy (toe) and is expected to make his fourth start of the season on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jones has been on a roll, winning all three of his previous starts—including last week's thrilling overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams, where he delivered a gutsy performance.
The former first-round pick, with 52 career starts, is eying one day reclaiming his status as a full-time starting quarterback in the NFL. But with Purdy locked into a five-year, $265 million contract extension, Jones' long-term future in San Francisco appears uncertain.
That raises the question: has the situation created tension inside the 49ers' quarterback room? General manager John Lynch doesn't believe so.
"A cool quality about Brock Purdy is he's one of the most self-assured people, in a very humble way," Lynch explained Thursday during an interview with Bay Area radio station KNBR. "It's hard to explain, but I think it's one of the things that appealed to us. He's just very confident in his abilities, but he's just a good guy, and he's got an incredible amount of humility."
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young recently pointed out that some level of awkwardness is only natural when a backup performs at a high level. Young, of course, lived through his own legendary quarterback controversy, sitting behind Joe Montana before eventually taking over. He noted that situations like this often create a kind of creative tension.
"Steve has lived that more and more than anyone," Lynch commented. "So I'll listen to him and say, 'All right, you're right.' I've never been there, but I have been in my own situation, and yeah, it is always you want to be the guy out there.
"I do wholeheartedly believe that Brock is nothing but happy for our team. He's working his tail off to try to get back, and I think we all feel blessed and fortunate that we found a guy to be our backup this year who can go in and play like a starter and earn us tough, hard-fought wins. And Mac's doing a tremendous job."
Lynch also praised Jones' growth since arriving in Santa Clara.
"It's been fun," Lynch said. "We've talked about the process he's gone through, and you could see throughout the offseason, through training camp, the confidence build, and some of those innate abilities that we saw way back in college start to come to the forefront, and it's cool to see that happen on a big stage."