The San Francisco 49ers sure 49er-ed in Week 1 of the 2025 season. In a gritty road win over the Seattle Seahawks, where Brock Purdy’s last-minute touchdown sealed the game, the 49ers lost their top two pass-catchers to injuries while leaving points on the table with shoddy special teams. All the worst aspects of their 2024 season came to light, only this time they were lucky enough to win. But the news that Purdy may miss Week 2 throws cold water on the party, and begs the question: is Mac Jones a legitimate fantasy option if Purdy is forced to sit?
49ers Backup QB History
We are all familiar with Jones’ history. After a promising rookie season with the New England Patriots, Jones steadily declined over the next two seasons. It culminated in a 2-9 record and a benching in year three, and after the Patriots selected Drake Maye as the next franchise quarterback, Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars to back up Trevor Lawrence. He was thrust into seven starts as Lawrence fought injuries, winning only two games while struggling again with decision making and turnovers. Now he finds himself in San Francisco, looking to redeem himself like another former AFC East flameout.
Sam Darnold made his way to the 49ers in 2023 after a rough start to his career with the Jets. He came into the year as the clear backup to Brock Purdy, getting one start at the end of the regular season. Darnold completed 16 of 26 passes for 189 yards and a score while rushing for another touchdown — a perfectly acceptable game-manager performance. Darnold parlayed his rave reviews from Kyle Shanahan and others into a one-year deal with the Vikings, where he turned in a near-MVP campaign and captured a Pro Bowl appearance alongside the MIP award. This had to play heavily in Jones’ mind when choosing to sign with San Francisco.
But things have changed. This isn’t the same caliber offense; if Purdy were to miss Week 2, Jones would start with a team missing Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. Deebo Samuel is with Washington, and it’s tough for anyone to put up big numbers with Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, and newly signed Kendrick Bourne catching your passes. So let’s get down to business: if Purdy misses Week 2 against the Saints, what is Jones’ fantasy outlook?
The Verdict
It’s bad. Bad, bad, bad. Purdy faced a lot of pressure in Week 1, and it severely hampered the San Francisco passing game. Purdy had to make a lot of throws outside of the pocket, a plus skill of his, and it resulted in a win. But good things don’t happen when Jones is outside of the pocket. If Jones is under center, New Orleans will send pressure in the hopes of creating turnovers to pull an upset, and he will likely oblige.
Even if he can avoid the negative plays, the game script and nature of Shanahan’s playcalling will work against him. With a good screen game and the presence of Christian McCaffrey, the best all-around running back in football, they’ll take the decisions out of Jones’ hands. If he can’t push the ball downfield, he won’t put up starting QB numbers.
If you’re an owner considering a streaming option, steer clear of Jones. He doesn’t have the upside you are looking for, while carrying all of the downside. Not even Shanahan can resuscitate his fantasy value.
