Mac Jones has allowed the San Francisco 49ers to breathe a little easier.
There will be more difficult matchups than the New Orleans Saints, but on Sunday, the 49ers' backup QB looked sharp as a fill-in for the injured Brock Purdy, and it might allow San Francisco to take a calmer approach with Purdy's recovery.
Jones went 26-for-39 throwing the ball for 279 yards and three touchdowns. He did lose a fumble, but that was his only major mistake.
MORE: NFL's 5 bird teams pulled off a historic feat in Week 2
Purdy is out with a turf toe problem, and conceptually a left shoulder issue, too. It's believed to be a multi-week injury, but it's not clear exactly what that means.
"The Niners aren't sure how long they'll be without Purdy as he nurses toe and left shoulder injuries, but they are prepared for the possibility that he will miss more than one game," ESPN's Nick Wagoner writes. "Jones' performance should offer reassurance that they do not need to rush Purdy back if he's not ready."
If Jones had put up a brutal performance, the 49ers might have felt inclined to rush Purdy.
But now with a 2-0 record and Jones looking solid, San Francisco can likely wait until Purdy is good to go.
MORE: Revisit Derrick Henry's absolutely unfathomable high school stats
That might not be any different of a timeline, or it could result in Purdy resting one extra week from whenever the front end of his return may have been.
Regardless, it's a good sign for what is to come with the 49ers.
"The Niners would sign up for (Jones' Week 2) performance from any of their quarterbacks moving forward, though bigger challenges await," Wagoner writes.
MORE NFL NEWS:
- Seahawks score an unprecedented kickoff touchdown that you've never seen before
- Dolphins, Patriots combine for history not done since Deion Sanders and Desmond Howard
- Tyreek Hill snaps a long personal drought for the Dolphins
- Ravens wanted to draft Shedeur Sanders, but he told them no
- Giants' James Hudson had an incredibly miserable drive of penalties
- Patriots legend Tom Brady teases a comeback to play with Gronk