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The San Francisco 49ers are set to roll with Brock Purdy as the starting quarterback in Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals. Mac Jones will shift back into the backup spot as the team tries to rebound from the Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan told KNBR on November 13 that Purdy will be under center this weekend. The 49ers’ starting quarterback had been out since Week 4 with a turf toe issue. As a result, Jones stepped in and handled the job during that stretch. Now all eyes will be on Purdy to stay healthy and quiet any talk of a quarterback controversy.

During his radio appearance, Shanahan shared what Jones’ reaction was when he told him that Purdy is fully healthy to return as the starter.

“Honestly, it was awesome,” Shanahan said (h/t 49ers Web Zone ). “I mean, I didn’t even have to communicate with him. I think he understood the situation that he went into. He’s understood it the whole time.

“And he had a real good idea that Brock was getting there, was going to be ready this week, so it wasn’t something that I really had to have a big meeting with or anything—but I did before we went out on the practice field. I did call him in just to tell him how much I appreciated how well he played during that time, and to kind of thank him for it.”

49ers QB Mac Jones Knows His Role as Backup

While every NFL player has that competitive edge to push for a starting role, players like Jones understand their role when they sign a contract and what it entails for their position on the team. Obviously, the situation changes as the season goes along, but Purdy didn’t lose his job due to poor play.

As a result, Jones knew that this decision was looming and harbored no hard feelings.

“He’s like, ‘Hey, man, I enjoyed it, and I’m gonna go have fun on scout team today, and I’ll be ready if I’m ever needed again,’” Shanahan added. “Mac’s handled it great since the beginning. Him and Brock have been studs in the room together. They help each other a ton. They enjoy each other. And I’m really pumped to have him this year, and I’m really pumped that we have him next year also.

“All these guys are super competitive, so everybody wants to start. But it really helps when guys have a lot of respect for the guy in front of them. That’s usually when the backups have been patient and have handled it the right way.”

Nonetheless, with Jones showing he’s capable of leading the 49ers, it will be up to Purdy to hit the ground running upon his return.

National Media Weighs in On 49ers QB Situation

With national outlets weighing in on the situation, FOX Sports analyst Colin Cowherd was the latest voice to chime in on the quarterback debate in the Bay Area.

“I’ve said this before: You don’t want to justify things in pro sports,” Cowherd said on the November 13 edition of “The Herd.”  “You don’t want to justify draft picks or decisions, just focus on who’s hot and who’s healthy. For the Niners, the hot quarterback is Mac Jones. The healthy quarterback is Mac Jones. I would be in no rush to bring back Brock Purdy…

“[Jones is] completing 70 percent of his throws, averaging 270 passing yards—second in the league without Ricky Pearsall or Brandon Aiyuk. He has three 300-yard games, bound for first in the league, and his passer rating is solid: 97.5. That’s good—a starter in the NFL, a B-plus quarterback.”

Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo

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