We also talk about Brock Purdy and the ‘franchise’ word, and whether Mac Jones will make an appearance in 2025
With the end of the offseason approaching, we can finally focus on the football being played on the field. Mandatory minicamps have already opened, and training camp and the preseason are just over the horizon.
The San Francisco 49ers are accustomed to a noisy June, typically dealing with one or two holdouts during this period. However, the 2025 offseason has been different, with Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and Fred Warner ending their contract drama before the summer started. With no contract shenanigans to worry about, we can entirely shift our focus towards the 2025 season.
With the roster mostly set, some questions will be answered over the course of the 49ers’ ideally more-than-17-game season. Over the next few weeks, we will break down those questions by position group and attempt to identify where the answers will come from.
The quarterback position had the biggest question of them all until Purdy signed his extension in May. With that roadblock out of the way, here are three questions to be asked about the 49ers quarterback group.
Which Brock Purdy will we see in 2025?
Purdy set the football world ablaze with his relief appearance in the back half of the 2022 season, leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. That progression continued through an MVP-caliber 2023 season that saw San Francisco win its second NFC Championship of the Shanahan era.
While injuries and a down year from the 49ers played a significant role, Purdy’s progression felt like it hit a snag in 2024. Without Christian McCaffrey or Aiyuk in support, Purdy’s numbers took a hit. His numbers were down across the board – fewer passing yards, a lower completion percentage, and a higher sack rate – but where the 49ers needed the most support was his touchdown passes.
After throwing 31 touchdowns in 2023—tied for fourth-most in franchise history—Purdy threw just 20 last season, a big part of why the 49ers fell from third in scoring in 2023 to 14th in 2024. Now, the touchdowns can’t be completely blamed on Purdy, as he was missing the recipients for 14 of those 31 touchdown passes in 2023 with the injuries to Aiyuk and McCaffrey, but the sharp drop-off is slightly concerning for the new $265-million man.
While Purdy did struggle at times with his arm, his legs became more of a threat in 2024. While his passing numbers were down, Purdy almost doubled his rushing numbers from 2023 to 2024, making himself a viable dual-threat quarterback. Purdy rushed for 323 yards (13th-most by a quarterback in franchise history and fifth-most from the non-Steve Young or Colin Kaepernick category) on 66 attempts in 2024, with 31 of those attempts resulting in a first down. Purdy won’t be able to blow past defenders with his speed, but his mobility is now something to note for opposing defenses in 2025.
The weapons will be lacking in 2025, just as they were in 2024. Deebo Samuel is in Washington, Aiyuk still has some time until he’s fully healthy, and McCaffrey might not be back to the level we’ve become accustomed to from him. That doesn’t mean Purdy needs to be his full 2023 version to pick up the slack, but he’ll need to be closer to that than his 2024 form. With his newfound mobility, somewhere between his 2023 and 2024 performances – ideally close to the 2023 side – should be enough from Purdy to get the 49ers offense back to its expected point.
Is Brock Purdy a franchise quarterback?
Our first question about Purdy will help answer this question, but even asking if Purdy is a franchise quarterback raises a few more questions.
Is there anything Purdy can accomplish in 2025 to earn the franchise quarterback title quickly? If Purdy had a bounce-back 2025 campaign where his numbers more closely resembled those of his 2023 season, but the 49ers were bounced in the Wild Card round, would we consider Purdy among the elite in the league? What if he has something closer to his 2024 struggles, but the 49ers advance to another NFC Championship Game or make a Super Bowl appearance? Despite his struggles, does Purdy get the extra credit for leading the charge?
Maybe the only way Purdy gets defined as the franchise quarterback after 2025 is with a sixth Lombardi for the 49ers. The possibilities are endless.
Getting the contract was the easy part of the process for the former Mr. Irrelevant. The tricky part is proving he’s worth the five-year, $265 million deal he signed last month. This isn’t the first time this 49ers front office has given a vote of confidence to a quarterback via a massive quarterback contract. The last time it happened, however, the 49ers flirted with Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford just two years after the extension.
Purdy has established that he can be a good quarterback in the NFL. His contract extension says he needs to take that next step, and 2025 would be the ideal time to do so.
How many games will Mac Jones play?
2025 will be the eighth season Kyle Shanahan has been in charge of the 49ers. The 49ers have had a healthy quarterback for the entire season in only two of the previous seven years. San Francisco went to the Super Bowl in both of those seasons.
The injury bug came around and bit the quarterback position once again in 2024. Purdy missed two games due to a pair of arm injuries, opening the door for Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen to get a spot start. 2022 also ended in injury for Purdy when Josh Johnson played emergency quarterback in the NFC Championship Game.
2023 is still the only fully healthy Purdy has played, but even then, he didn’t start all 17 games. Sam Darnold took over for Purdy in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams after the 49ers had their playoff position sewn up.
History has shown that we are likely to see a backup quarterback play in 2025. The only question is whether Jones will have to step into an important role or if he will play because the 49ers need rest to begin a playoff push.