Who Should I Start? Mac Jones or Anthony Richardson Sr.

Wednesday, January 21, 3:34 PM

Both San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch seem intent on keeping quarterback Mac Jones around going into next season as the backup for Brock Purdy, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. "We're not into getting rid of good players. I'd be surprised if he's not here next year," Shanahan said. "Mac made this place better and picked us up in a huge way ... Can't say enough about his play but also his leadership," Lynch said. The 27-year-old kept the 49ers afloat in 2025 with Purdy missing a chunk of time due to a turf-toe injury. He was in the first year of a two-year, $8.4 million contract, and all signs point to Jones returning in 2026 as one of the better backup QBs in the league. As a starter for the Niners this year, Jones went 5-3 while completing 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.

Friday, January 16, 5:32 PM

When asked if quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (eye) had a role on the team next season, Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen was non-committal while referring to Richardson's eye injury that caused him to end the year on Injured Reserve, according to The Athletic's James Boyd. General manager Chris Ballard also openly theorized about Riley Leonard being the backup in 2026 if Richardson "doesn't get to where we think he can be." Boyd assumes that the Colts won't want to pick up Richardson's fifth-year option, since the former fourth overall pick in 2023 has played in just 15 games in his first three years due to various injuries. The 23-year-old is still recovering from an orbital fracture that affected the vision in his right eye. When healthy, A-Rich hasn't sustained a high level of play for the Colts, which is why they brought in Daniel Jones (Achilles) in 2025.