Since being drafted as "Mr. Irrelevant," Brock Purdy's NFL career has gone well.
The fourth-year quarterback out of Iowa State has won four playoff games, led San Francisco to two NFC Championship games, and even appeared in a Super Bowl.
However, since his rookie year, Purdy has dealt with several significant injuries, including a torn UCL in the 2023 NFC Championship game and a brutal turf toe injury in Week 4 of this season.
As a result, the Niners had to be ready in case something happens to Purdy in the postseason. Fortunately for them, they have a reliable backup quarterback who has actually led them to five wins this season.
Here's everything to know about the 49ers' quarterback depth chart ahead of the 2025-26 playoffs.
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Who is the 49ers' backup quarterback?
Purdy's backup is former Patriots quarterback Mac Jones.
Jones was drafted 15th overall by New England in the 2021 NFL Draft out of the University of Alabama. Jones was coming off a dominant season with the Crimson Tide, as not only did he win a national championship, but he was also a Heisman Trophy finalist.
In his rookie year with the Patriots, Jones threw for 3,801 yards with 22 passing touchdowns. There were plenty of accomplishments that year, including a playoff appearance and a Pro Bowl invitation.
Jones spent just three seasons in New England before being shipped to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024. With Trevor Lawrence getting hurt, Jones ended up starting 10 games for the Jags, but only won two of them.
After only one season in Jacksonville, Jones decided to sign with the 49ers after being released.
Purdy dealt with a plethora of injuries to start the season and ended up playing only two games in the first 10 weeks. For the other eight weeks, the Niners had to turn to Jones, and he did not waste the opportunity.
Jones won five of his eight starts and averaged 25 completions for 268 yards and 1.6 passing touchdowns.
With this clear and lengthy sample size, there's no doubt the 49ers feel confident they can still get the job done if Purdy were to go down.
49ers QB depth chart
| Rank | Name |
| 1. | Brock Purdy |
| 2. | Mac Jones |
| 3. | Kurtis Rourke (NFI) |
The Niners have three quarterbacks on their roster, but only two of them are eligible to play heading into the postseason. Between Purdy and Jones, one of them started every game this season.
Jones would fill in for Purdy if he were to get hurt, but there isn't much behind him. Other than that, it's only Kurtis Rourke, the seventh-round rookie out of Indiana.
Rourke has remained on the Non-Football Injury list since the start of the season due to a torn ACL he suffered during his final collegiate season.