'Mac's capable of being a starter': Mac Jones being coached hard by 49ers in attempt to revive career
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Nick Wagoner
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After an early June organized team activity, new San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones walked to a podium in the bowels of Levi’s Stadium and answered questions for about 11 minutes.
As Jones patiently responded to queries about everything from how he was nearly picked by the Niners in the 2021 NFL draft to why he believes coach Kyle Shanahan can get his career back on track, something was clearly nagging him.
On the practice field moments earlier, Jones had struggled, throwing an interception directly to cornerback Derrick Canteen and missing a handful of open receivers, including an overthrow to rookie wideout Jordan Watkins on a deep ball.
Throughout his media session, Jones alluded to his misfires on multiple occasions, opening a window into the first thing that he and the 49ers must fix as he steps into the No. 2 quarterback role behind Brock Purdy: rebuilding his ability to trust what he sees and cut it loose.
“My goal is to really just have great attempts like, you know, is the ball supposed to go there?” Jones said. “And if it is, then let it fly and be committed to it. Sometimes when you watch my film, it wasn’t a full commitment throw and I want to get better at that. … That’s the whole point of football is to try those throws, learn from them, and then when you get to the game you can say, ‘Hey, I can do this,’ or ‘I’m going to check this one down, you know, I’m trying to protect the ball.’ So, I’ve learned the hard way in a way.”
Indeed, Jones has taken a far more circuitous route to the red and gold of the 49ers than many observers would have expected when he entered the NFL out of Alabama in 2021. At the time, the Niners sent a trio of first-round picks and more to the Miami Dolphins to move from No. 12 to No. 3 to select their franchise quarterback.
Although Jones was widely regarded as the likely choice for most of the run-up to that draft, the Niners ultimately selected North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Jones tumbled to the New England Patriots with the 15th pick.
As it turned out, neither Lance nor Jones would be the long-term answer for the Niners or Patriots, respectively, and both teams quickly moved on to other options. Jones was shipped to Jacksonville after a promising rookie season (56.9 QBR) gave way to a pair of disappointing years in which he posted QBRs of 38.4 in 2022 and 37.5 in 2023.
That one-year stop with the Jaguars offered Jones seven starting opportunities, with Editor’s Picks
2 Related “To watch him go through those three weeks working on some technique things and just how we see football, I’m hoping it helps him and he enjoys it,” Shanahan said. Rough practice days aside, enjoying his new place of employment hasn’t been a problem for Jones to this point. He’s made it clear that he likes being coached hard and that he’s craved the challenge that Shanahan and his staff have put before him. Jones’ chance to learn the basics of Shanahan’s offense extends beyond the coaching staff. In another fateful twist, when he was a young player at Alabama, Jones once played host for a recruiting visit by a young quarterback named Purdy. The pair spent that night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, hanging out and playing video games, and though Purdy ultimately opted for Iowa State, Jones has enjoyed watching Purdy grow into the quarterback who recently signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension with the 49ers. For Jones, Purdy offers a daily reminder of how developing in the right place with the right coaching staff can pay big dividends. Before signing with the Niners, Jones also noted the ascent of Best of NFL Nation
