By Sunday 
If there’s one thing that drives the NFL media machine faster than a 4.3 forty-yard dash, it’s a quarterback controversy—even when it’s manufactured. And in San Francisco, Brock Purdy is once again at the center of the debate, thanks to his old nemesis: Nick Wright.
Purdy Out, Jones In—And the Critics Pounce
When Brock Purdy had to sit out in Week 2, backup Mac Jones stepped in and delivered a solid performance. Predictably, that was all the ammo Wright needed to reignite his long-standing criticism of Purdy.
On First Things First, Wright didn’t hold back:
“It’s almost as if there’s a lot of quarterbacks, that as long as they have starting-caliber at any point in them, you drop them into Kyle Shanahan’s system… they can look really good. It’s another reason why I maybe would have waited to pay Brock Purdy.”
Translation: Purdy isn’t special—it’s all Shanahan’s scheme.
Broussard Pushes Back
Thankfully, Purdy didn’t have to stand alone in the crossfire. Co-host Chris Broussard quickly countered Wright’s take:
“This is one game. Brock Purdy did it for three seasons. Is Mac Jones going to be top-five in MVP voting? Is Mac Jones going to lead them to the Super Bowl?”
Broussard made the crucial point—context matters. One good game against the lowly New Orleans Saints doesn’t erase what Purdy has achieved over three consistent, high-level seasons.
The Manufactured QB Controversy
Let’s be real: Jones played well, but this wasn’t Tom Brady stepping in for Drew Bledsoe. This was a solid quarterback putting up a solid performance against a struggling team. Still, nothing gets clicks like stirring the pot, and Wright knows it.
San Francisco has had its fair share of legitimate quarterback debates—remember the Garoppolo-Lance era?—but this isn’t one of them. Purdy is the guy, and unless Jones strings together miracle performances, this “controversy” is more smoke than fire.
What’s Next
Here’s the thing: if Jones starts again next week and lights up the Arizona Cardinals, expect the chatter to crank up another notch. But if he flops? Don’t hold your breath waiting for Purdy’s haters to eat crow.
Because at the end of the day, Nick Wright and others aren’t just questioning Purdy—they’re questioning the very idea that the 49ers struck gold with “Mr. Irrelevant.”