Following his spell with the Jacksonville Jaguars, former New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones has a new home.
On Wednesday, it was announced Jones had inked a two-year $7 million deal to sign with the San Francisco 49ers, the team he was heavily linked to when he was coming out of Alabama back in 2021. Confirming the news, ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on X: “Free-agent QB Mac Jones agreed to terms with the 49ers on a two-year deal for $7 million with $5M guaranteed. Jones wanted an opportunity to work with 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan.”
He will now serve as Brock Purdy’s back-up, and look to revitalize his career. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was reportedly enamoured with Jones, who led the Crimson Tide to a National Championship title during his senior season. And in March 2021, the 49ers signaled their intent to draft a quarterback when they traded the 12th overall pick, alongside two future first-round picks to the Miami Dolphins for the third overall selection.
All signs seemed to point towards the 49ers selecting Jones, who fit what Shanahan was looking for at quarterback. However, come draft day, the 49ers selected North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Lance was viewed to have a greater upside due to his athleticism and running ability, while Jones was viewed as more of an archetypal pocket passer.
In the end, the selection of Lance backfired on the 49ers, who were unable to develop the third overall pick into their franchise quarterback. The 24-year-old started just four games for San Francisco over two years, in part due to injury and the play of Jimmy Garoppolo.
Come August 2023, Lance was traded to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. He is now a free agent.
Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers opted to draft Trey Lance over Mac Jones
Mac Jones ended up being drafted by New England
Meanwhile, Jones is now on his third team with the 49ers. The former Alabama quarterback ended up being drafted by New England with the 15th overall pick and enjoyed a strong rookie season.
The Patriots went 10-7 and made the playoffs during Jones’ first year. However, the following two seasons saw Jones’ play take a nosedive. His sophomore year saw him battle injuries early on in the 2022 NFL season, with Jones and the Patriots finishing up 8-9.
However, come his third season, it was evident Jones, who was also hurt by the lack of offensive quality around him which hindered his development, was not the answer at quarterback for the Patriots. Poor play saw Jones end up splitting time with Bailey Zappe, with the two combining to lead New England to a disappointing 4-13 record in what was Bill Belichick’s final year in charge of the Patriots.
And come March 2024, Jones ended up being traded to the Jaguars, where he spent last season as Trevor Lawrence’s backup.
