SANTA CLARA, CA – After an organized team activity in early June, new San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones walked to the gut podium at Levi’s stadium and answered questions for about 11 minutes.
Something was clearly nagging him when Jones patiently responded to questions about everything, from how he was nearly selected for the Ninners in the 2021 NFL Draft to why he believed that manager Kyle Shanahan could get his career back on track.
At the moment on the practice field, Jones struggled and missed a few open receivers, including throwing a direct interception at cornerback Derrick Canteen and capsizing rookie wideout Jordan Watkins with a deep ball.
Throughout his media sessions, Jones hinted at his misfire on multiple occasions, opening the window to what he and the 49ers must first correct as they step into the second quarterback role behind Brock Purdy: reconstructing his ability to trust what he saw and loosen and cut it.
“My goal is to make a really great attempt, like the ball is supposed to go there,” Jones said. “And if that’s the case, let me skip it and commit to it. Sometimes when I watch my films, it’s not a complete commitment throw, I want it to be good. …That’s what I’m trying out their throws and learning from the game. So I learned how to do it in a way.”
In fact, Jones is taking the much more evasive route to the 49ers red and gold that many observers expected when they entered the NFL from Alabama in 2021.
Jones was widely regarded as a likely choice for most landings in that draft, but the Niners ultimately chose the North Dakota Traylanse. Jones rolled into the New England Patriot on his 15th pick.
After all, neither Lance nor Jones were the long-term answers for the Ninas and Patriots respectively, and both teams quickly moved on to other options. Jones was shipped to Jacksonville after his promising rookie season (56.9 QBR) gave way to a disappointing year when he posted a 38.4 QBRS in 2022 and a 37.5 QBRS in 2023.
A year-long stop with the Jaguar provided the opportunity for Jones Seven Start after Trevor Lawrence was injured, but he posted a 39.8 QBR and showed no signs of improvement.
Jones first set out for free agency in March, looking for opportunities to play for a coach with the most proven track record from quarterback.
Shanahan was an obvious choice that felt to both sides like a pairing that always occurs at some point. At the beginning of the free agency, Jones and Shanahan texted the text, and Jones joked that the pair “engaged the Niners’ original draft decision into a massive fight.”
“The world works in a mysterious way,” Jones said with a laugh. “It’s great to be back here and learn from a great group, that’s the players and coaches, so you’re going to go to the draft, right?
Upon arriving in San Francisco, Jones went through an intensive course focused on correcting his foundations. For three weeks, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak and quarterback coach Mick Lombardi have experienced the cut-off of Jones’ previous films and other signalling callers tapes that show what sort of footwork is needed to make Jones’ tapes successful in the offense.
“To see him go through these three weeks working on some techniques and how to see football, I hope it helps him and he enjoys it,” Shanahan said.
Aside from a rough practice day, enjoying his new place of employment was not an issue for Jones up to this point. He reveals that he likes to be coached hard and longs for the challenges Shanahan and his staff have placed before him.
Jones’ chances to learn the basics of Shanahan’s offense go beyond the coaching staff.
With another fateful twist, when he was a young Alabama player, Jones played the host for a recruitment visit by a young quarterback once named Purdy. The pair spent the night strolling around Tuscaloosa, Alabama, playing video games, and eventually chose Iowa, but Jones enjoyed watching him grow into a quarterback who recently signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension with the 49ers.
For Jones, Purdy is a daily reminder that developing in the right place along with the right coaching staff can pay a big dividend.
Before signing with the Ninners, Jones also took note of the climbing of Sam Darnold, another former draft pick that he struggled elsewhere, where he was successful with the Minnesota Vikings and signed a considerable free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks.
Despite Jones’ struggles elsewhere, the 49ers still see similar possibilities.
“He has a lot of traits that we like about the quarterback we started,” Kubiak said. “He’s been up and down a bit over the past few years, but I saw the same things he loved about him as a college outlook in Jacksonville.
To do this, Jones must start with confidence and rebuild from scratch. Jones says it’s important to acknowledge that he can do better at previous stops, and he intends to use those “scars” as motivation for improvement.
In San Francisco, he is the clear backup behind Purdy’s unquestionable starter. It is still unclear if he will play, but he missed a pair of games due to an injury in 2024.
And if Jones needs to intervene, Shanahan doesn’t want him to mourn the interception he was actually thrown, but remembers those mistakes so he doesn’t make them again when it really matters.
“[If] You’ve gone through all these practices and you’ll never throw a pick, you probably haven’t gotten better,” Shanahan said. Not only is it a hit for the first time, but now everything matters, and you don’t actually rip it and get it all through, you won’t get better in the game.
