The quarterback some wanted benched may have the inside track to the Super Bowl

Some analysts wanted to keep quarterback Brock Purdy on the bench earlier this season in favor of another hot hand. Instead he's returned and led the 49ers to six straight wins.

When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy missed an extended period of time this season, multiple high-profile names within the sport said the team was better off keeping him on the bench in favor of backup Mac Jones, who had played well in his stead.

“I just don’t see how [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] will be able to take Mac Jones off the field with how he’s playing,” Amazon Prime analyst Richard Sherman, a former 49ers cornerback, posted on X in November. “I know Brock Purdy HAS to start if he’s healthy but this is a hot hand situation right now and MAC is rolling! Not trying to spark controversy but this is an obvious observation.”

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said the same month: “There is a brewing quarterback controversy, competition, whatever you want in San Francisco.”

Around the time of Sherman’s and Orlovsky’s comments, Purdy had missed eight of San Francisco’s first 10 games. The 49ers had a 1-1 record in his two starts, compared with a 5-3 mark in Jones’ eight.

Among those who advocated for sticking with Jones was none other than Tom Brady, the legendary, seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who himself became a starter because of an injury to another player.