Steve Young Refuses to Buy Into 49ers QB Debate, Praises Both Mac Jones and Brock Purdy

The San Francisco 49ers have a quarterback situation on their hand with the emergence of Mac Jones during Brock Purdy’s absence due to his injury.

Jones is coming off completing 33 of 49 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns in the 49ers’ Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Moreover, with Purdy dealing with an injury since the Week 1 win against the Seattle Seahawks, Jones has stepped in seamlessly, delivering three of San Francisco’s four wins so far this season.

Purdy returned in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the team suffered its only loss. The emergence of Jones is sparking discussions about a possible quarterback controversy for San Francisco.

Nonetheless, 49ers legend Steve Young isn’t buying into that debate topic.

“I just refuse to allow the dilemma, the creative tension, and the abundance of the situation—two guys playing great football for us—to be turned negative on me,” Young said on a recent appearance on 95.7 The Game. “You can’t turn it into something toxic or transactional where you’re going to make me choose somebody and make someone else a little…

“I’m not doing it. I think that’s the challenge Kyle has going forward. It’s week to week. If somebody has a terrible game, it makes it even more intense. If everybody keeps playing great, it makes it easier.”

49ers Will Be Able to Handle QB Situation

Moreover, Young believes that the 49ers have the coaching staff and front office that won’t allow this quarterback debate to become larger than

wt actually is, and let the outside noise penetrate the locker room.

“It has to be handled really well—and it will be—with Mac and Brock. I don’t even worry about it,” Young added. “I think

it’ll be handled really well with John [Lynch] and Kyle [Shanahan]; I have high confidence in that; I guarantee the fan bases are just… It’s going to be wild—in a positive way, because whoever’s on the field is playing pretty freaking good, and that’s a good thing.

“I refuse to go down the rabbit hole of finding why this is a terrible thing. In the end, this isn’t terrible for the 49ers—that we have quarterbacks playing great. That can’t be true.”

Steve Young Isn’t Alone With His 49ers QB Take

Furthermore, Young isn’t the only person who isn’t buying into the quarterback controversy debate. Sports media host Jim Rome doesn’t buy into the idea of a quarterback controversy for the 49ers. He adds that San Francisco is an a strong position with their quarterbacks.

“It’s the opposite of a quarterback controversy,” Rome said on the October 3 edition of “The Jim Rome Show.” “(…) This is not the way I see it. You know what that is? That’s not a quarterback controversy. What that is, is the opposite. It’s a great quarterback situation.

“What they have is a cheap, quality backup who they believe in, who’s a great fit for the system, who’s already won three games in a row. And he competes his ass off, he’s tough as hell, and his teammates respond to him. They love him, and they are Brock. So how is this a problem? It seems like the opposite of a problem to me.”

Jared Goff Outclasses Patrick Mahomes in Major QB Stat as Lions Eye Repeat of 2023 Chiefs Game

As the NFL season heats up, all eyes are once again on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, but another quarterback is quietly redefining efficiency. Detroit Lions’ Jared Goff currently leads all quarterbacks in completion percentage, completing a staggering 75.2 percent of his passes, according to Statmuse.

By contrast, Mahomes, often hailed as the gold standard at the position, sits far behind at 63.4 percent. For a player known for precision and improvisation, it’s a rare statistical gap that paints a different picture of this season’s hierarchy under center.

Through the early stretch of the season, Goff’s numbers have been impeccable. He’s completed 109 of 145 attempts for 1,187 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just two interceptions — a blend of accuracy and composition that has the Lions’ offense humming. His 8.2 yards per attempt speaks to more than just safe checkdowns; he’s efficiently pushing the ball downfield.

Mahomes, meanwhile, has thrown for slightly more yards (1,257) and eight touchdowns on 183 attempts, but his completion percentage and yards per attempt (6.9) were clearly behind. While Mahomes’ trademark creativity and downfield aggression remain his calling cards, the precision that defined his MVP campaigns hasn’t been as sharp this year. In Week 1 of 2023, Detroit marched into Arrowhead Stadium and stunned the defending Super Bowl champions, 21–20, in a game that symbolized the start of the Lions’ long-awaited resurgence.

Goff went 22-of-35 for 253 yards and a touchdown, protecting the ball and commanding the offense with poise. Mahomes, on the other hand, completed 21-of-39 passes for 226 yards, two touchdowns, and one costly interception, a Brian Branch pick-six that swung the game.

That win was more than a single upset; it was a cultural reset. It validated head coach Dan Campbell’s vision and gave Detroit something it hadn’t had in years: belief. Since then, the Lions have transformed from underdogs into genuine contenders, with Goff at the center of their rise.

Goff’s 75.2 percent completion rate isn’t just a statistical anomaly; it’s a reflection of how methodical and composed he’s become within Detroit’s system. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has crafted a scheme that maximizes Goff’s timing and decision-making, relying on rhythm passing, pre-snap reads, and an elite offensive line that gives him time to operate.

Mahomes, by contrast, has faced more instability on offense this year. With inconsistent receiver play and more defensive attention than ever, his rhythm has been disrupted. Yet even at 63.4 percent, he remains one of the league’s most dangerous players — proof that his ceiling, when he clicks, is unmatched.