The ex-Patriots quarterback is 3-0 this season and was also the driving force behind the San Francisco 49ers‘ thrilling overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams in week 5. QB Mac Jones went 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards with 2 touchdowns. He overcame multiple hits from the Rams’ defense to help the San Francisco 49ers secure a massive road victory over their divisional rival. Some will say that Jones is the new Purdy, but let’s be clear, the 49ers don’t have a quarterback controversy just yet.

Brock Purdy has lost four of his past five starts, throwing eight interceptions in the span. Jones is undefeated in three starts with just one pick and leads the league in pass per attempt. Jones has surely earned his spot, but as a young quarterback, he still has a lot to prove. “If he’s 95% why put [Brock Purdy] out there? Until you’re absolutely certain he’s 100% and if Mac [Jones] wins a fourth game against a very good Tampa team, then I would definitely leave him in at this point,” NFL analyst Brian Baldinger said.

Sure, Jones has been impressive. In his 3 starts, he completed 66% of his passes for 905 yards and 6 touchdowns. But the 49ers don’t have to pick between a QB getting $53 million per season (Purdy) and another getting $4 million per season (Jones) just because Purdy is injured. He has to do a lot more than just winning games rather a Super Bowl would aid him in taking Purdy’s job. History shows it’s possible.

In 1999, the Rams signed Trent Green to a four-year deal, but after a preseason knee injury, Kurt Warner took over, and they won the Super Bowl and kept the job. Green was traded two years later. In 2001, Drew Bledsoe received a 10-year extension by the Patriots, but later got injured after just two weeks. Tom Brady stepped up, won the Super Bowl, and took over the job with Bledsoe being traded a year later.

49ers claim hard-fought overtime victory over Rams

Playing through a leg injury, Mac Jones came out firing. He scored on the 49ers’ first two drives and led 20-7 late in the third quarter. After his third win for the team, his passer rate improved to 99.1 with just one interception. He adjusted his QBR to 66.9 nd now tied for 12th among quarterbacks. His performance certainly ignited the game.

The game went down to the wire in overtime. Kicker Eddy Pineiro drilled a 41-yard field goal, which compelled the 49ers’ defense to come big. It stopped Rams RB Kyren Williams on fourth down with 3:36 left, allowing the injury-depleted Niners to hang on for a thrilling 26-23 victory. “They were unbelievable,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said of his players. “We talked about how long this game was going to be, how focused we had to be, how competitive we had to be for the entire time. Started out great, but it’s a good team.”

Los Angeles made one last push, but San Francisco held on to win their first overtime game since losing Super Bowl 58 in February 2024. The dramatic fourth quarter had it all: Pineiro’s tiebreaking 59-yard field goal with just 2:52 left, Williams’ goal-line fumble, and Rams kicker Joshua Karty‘s tying 48-yard field goal for the Rams with 2 seconds on the clock.

San Francisco got the ball to start overtime, and Jones led a drive that set up Pineiro’s fourth field goal with 5:51 left. Jones still has to continue displaying the use of weapons like running back RB Christian McCaffery. He not only ran 282 yards but also managed 39 passes for 387 yards and three touchdowns this season. But the 49ers and the Buccaneers are two of the four 4-1 teams in the NFC wing, and both are the table toppers in their division after the week 5 victory. Todd Bowles’ blitz will be waiting for Jones and company to exploit the offense.