The San Francisco 49ers are off to a strong 2-0 start after a hard-fought 26-21 Week 2 road victory. Despite missing starting quarterback Brock Purdy, sidelined with a toe injury, the team leaned on Mac Jones, who delivered with 279 passing yards and three touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints.
Now, the 49ers return home for their season debut at Levi's Stadium, hosting the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals in a pivotal Week 3 NFC West showdown. Purdy's status remains uncertain, leaving open the possibility that Jones will make his second straight start under center.
How does the national media view the 49ers compared to the rest of the league? Below is a roundup of the latest NFL power rankings, highlighting where San Francisco currently stands in each. As always, the highest rankings are listed first.
Sporting News
Current Ranking: 4
Previous Ranking: 3
"The 49ers don't get many style points for grinding out a victory with Mac Jones at QB, but he got the lift he needed from his healthy support system, including Christian McCaffrey and key backups. Every road win is big in the NFL, even against the Saints in New Orleans." — Vinnie Iyer
CBS Sports
Current Ranking: 8
Previous Ranking: 9
"They are 2-0 with two road victories, one with a backup quarterback. That's a nice way to start a season. Mac Jones played well against the Saints." — Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated
Current Ranking: 8
Previous Ranking: 8
"Kyle Shanahan and Mac Jones join forces once and for all and prove that, if you can process reads the way that Shanahan wants you to, you, too, can succeed in San Francisco. So long as Christian McCaffrey stays healthy, I don't see Arizona or Jacksonville causing much of a problem in either of the next two weeks." — Conor Orr
The Athletic
Current Ranking: 9
Previous Ranking: 6
"[Sam] Darnold's return from The Land of the First-Round Bust started with one start in San Francisco in 2023. On Sunday, Jones was 26-for-39 for 279 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in his first stint since fill-in duty last season in Jacksonville, where he landed after being dumped by New England. He was eighth in the NFL in passer rating in Week 2 (113.1). The 15th pick in the 2021 draft will get another shot somewhere if he does this another time or two before Brock Purdy returns." — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
Yahoo! Sports
Current Ranking: 10
Previous Ranking: 13
"Kyle Shanahan is an excellent offensive coach. QB Mac Jones had 279 yards and three touchdowns, filling in for Brock Purdy. Jones should be reasonable with Purdy out, and that's because he has Shanahan calling the offense for him." — Frank Schwab
Bleacher Report
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 14
"Once upon a time, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan supposedly wanted quarterback Mac Jones instead of Trey Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. If the Niners had gone that route, Brock Purdy likely isn't on the roster. In a twist of fate, Jones is now Purdy's backup and in San Francisco's lineup due to a toe injury to the starter. Jones played well in his first start with the 49ers. He threw three touchdowns, which gives the coaching staff options depending on Purdy's progression. Currently, Purdy is on a week-to-week schedule. He may be able to play in Week 3. It's quite possible that head coach Kyle Shanahan keeps Jones in the lineup for another couple of weeks just to make sure Purdy is fully healthy." — Brent Sobleski
ESPN
Current Ranking: 11
Previous Ranking: 14
"When Brock Purdy missed two games with injury in 2024, backups Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs posted QBRs of 33.2 and 23.4, respectively, and the 49ers lost both games by a combined 51 points. Before Sunday, a quarterback other than Purdy hadn't started and won with the 49ers since Jimmy Garoppolo in December 2022. But Jones stepped in against the Saints and posted a 67.2 QBR with three touchdown passes. San Francisco hopes to have Purdy back soon from toe and left shoulder injuries, but its confidence in Jones is for real if Purdy has to miss more time." — Nick Wagoner
Pro Football Talk
Current Ranking: 12
Previous Ranking: 16
"Mac Jones might play his way into another chance to be a starter." — Mike Florio
The Ringer
Current Ranking: 12
Previous Ranking: 15
"Quarterback Mac Jones's stat line looks more than respectable ... if you didn't tune in to Sunday's game. He deserves credit for getting the ball out of his hands quickly, but it was a subpar performance for a Kyle Shanahan QB. Even when Shanahan's quarterbacks have been limited, I've been used to seeing his offenses operate with a certain kind of efficiency, especially in the run game. But right now, defenses don't seem to respect this offensive line enough for that to happen. Watching a Shanahan team string together drives with sequences of quick passes brings back the worst memories of Jimmy Garoppolo, not exactly a comp Jones should be aiming for." — Diante Lee
USA Today
Current Ranking: 12
Previous Ranking: 13
"This is the fourth time HC Kyle Shanahan's crew has opened with two wins on the road. The Niners went at least as far as the NFC title game in the three previous instances." — Nate Davis
NFL.com
Current Ranking: 13
Previous Ranking: 15
"I had trouble spotting San Francisco in this pecking order. When I filed last week's rankings, we still hadn't received full clarity on Brock Purdy's injury. If we had, I probably would've dropped the 49ers a slot or two in that edition, just as I did when Jordan Love was hurt in Green Bay's opener a year ago. So, I was prepared to give them a slight downgrade here, even though they just earned a road win with a backup QB. But as it turned out, the rankings wave pushed them up. Mac Jones made some key throws in New Orleans -- even with some mistakes, including the third-quarter fumble that kept the Saints alive. But considering whom he was throwing to, Jones played very well in his first start for San Francisco and can be trusted against Arizona this week if Purdy remains out. Say what you will about the defense, but once again, it kept the opponent in check and made a big play late to seal it. It hasn't been easy, and the Niners still have a lot to prove, but they are 2-0 with two road victories." — Eric Edholm