By Reice ShipleyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe San Francisco 49ers opted to give Brock Purdy his starting job back in Week 11 upon returning from his lingering turf toe injury. However, Monday's Week 12 matchup against the Carolina Panthers has 49ers fans worried that they may have made a mistake by reinserting him into a starting role.
Veteran quarterback Mac Jones played serviceably in Purdy's absence, leading San Francisco to a 5-3 record in his eight starts on the year.
While some chalked this up to Jones playing in Kyle Shanahan's quarterback-friendly system, others believe that Jones now has a future in the NFL as a starter moving forward.
Purdy looked great in his return in Week 11, playing mistake-free football and recording three touchdowns in a dominant win over the Cardinals. The same can not be said for his performance on Monday Night Football through the first two quarters, committing several ugly turnovers in a concerning half of football from an individual perspective.
...More news: Broncos Lose Out on JK Dobbins Replacement to Chiefs
Purdy was never able to get into a rhythm in the first half, throwing his third interception of the game with just over six minutes to go in the second quarter on a pass that Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn saw coming from a mile away.
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Simply put, 49ers fans and media members were not impressed with what they saw with Purdy, urging the organization to bench him in favor of Mac Jones.
"Mac Jones, get ready," wrote Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe. "Purdy is awful 2nite."
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"Bench Brock Purdy," wrote Grant Cohn of 49ers on SI.
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"Should Kyle Shanahan bench Brock Purdy for Mac Jones?" wrote Chase Senior, a host of the 49ers Report podcast.
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More news: Browns’ Kevin Stefanski Makes Highly Anticipated Shedeur Sanders Decision
On the bright side for San Francisco, Purdy's struggles actually haven't come back to bite them just yet. The Panthers' offense and quarterback Bryce Young struggled even more than Purdy did, putting up 72 yards of offense through the first two quarters.
It's hard to argue in favor of San Francisco moving on from a quarterback that has led the organization to a Super Bowl in the past, simply due to a bad half of football.
Still, the 49ers may very well be keeping a close eye on Purdy to see how he responds to these struggles throughout the remainder of Monday's game.
For more on the San Francisco 49ers and all things NFL, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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