Donte Whitner has pulled out yet another controversial take, this time on the Up & Adams show, when he graded the San Francisco 49ers’ backup quarterback, Mac Jones. Whitner said Jones is “creeping up in the top 15” of NFL signal-callers, that he is “better than half of the league,” and even claimed Jones compares favorably to Caleb Williams, a remark that stopped host Kay Adams in her tracks. 

Jones came off the bench Thursday night and carried San Francisco to a 26-23 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams, a performance that turned heads and fueled the debate about how much value a talented backup can deliver. He finished with 342 yards and two touchdowns in that outing, a stat line that made Whitner’s point harder to dismiss and energized the offense. 

Whitner didn’t just praise Jones; he ranked Brock Purdy, when healthy, as a top-15 type himself and suggested Purdy sits around No. 12 on his personal list when he’s “on his game.” The point Whitner made: elite quarterbacks make a team tick, but league depth at the position is thin enough that a well-coached backup can outplay many starters. 

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That last comparison, Mac Jones vs. Caleb Williams, will light up social feeds. Caleb Williams is the Chicago Bears’ starter and the No. 1 pick from the 2024 draft, a player teams expect to build around. Saying a backup with limited starts has outperformed Williams is provocative. It’s the kind of take that invites pushback from fans, analysts, and the young quarterback’s camp. 

Put simply, Whitner’s argument rests on two things: recent performance and context. Jones has shown crisp timing, low turnover propensity, and the ability to execute Kyle Shanahan’s playbook under pressure. Meanwhile, several high-profile starters have struggled this season, which inflates the perceived standing of anyone playing well. That combination makes Whitner’s shout both defensible and dramatic. 

Will the narrative stick? Not necessarily. Purdy remains San Francisco’s franchise quarterback when healthy, and Williams carries the pedigree and long-term investment of a No. 1 overall pick. But Whitner’s on-air ranking does one thing cleanly: it forces a conversation about quarterback value across the league, and about how thin the margin can be between a starter and a standout backup. For now, it’s a spicy, headline-ready take, exactly the kind that keeps NFL Twitter busy. Expect a heated debate. Now.