Former first-round pick Mac Jones is on to his third team in three years, and he enters his debut season with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup to the now-highly paid Brock Purdy. The career trajectory is a disappointing one for a prospect whom the New England Patriots tabbed as their quarterback of the future when they selected him in the first round out of Alabama in the 2021 NFL Draft, but Jones would not be the first quarterback to pull off a post-hype breakout if given the opportunity.
Jones’ first chance at that mid-career step forward came last season when he filled in for an injured Trevor Lawrence with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He battled the turnover bug again, though, after interceptions plagued him throughout the early years of his career. Still, the 49ers caught glimpses during that seven-game starting stretch of something they wanted to invest in.
“He’s got a lot of traits that we like for a starting quarterback,” 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak said, via ESPN. “His career has kind of gone up and down a little bit the past couple years, but we saw the same things in Jacksonville that we loved about him as a college prospect, and that really excites us. … I think Mac’s capable of being a starter in this league.”
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The sample size as a starter spans about three and a half seasons and was largely underwhelming. Jones opened his pro career with a bang and thrived en route to a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie but has yet to rekindle that success. He lost control of his job in New England and only latched onto a starting role in Jacksonville as an injury replacement.
There was some skepticism around Jones’ upside, too, when he flew off the board at No. 15 overall in the 2021 draft, as some questioned his physical tools and questioned whether the Alabama system and talent around him propped him up more than his raw talent.
At his best, Jones racked up 3,801 yards with a respectable 22 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in a promising rookie season. At his worst, he threw more picks (12) than scores (10) and saw his opportunity with the Patriots come crashing down.
Jones may have found an ideal landing spot to refresh his career. The 49ers are outwardly enamored with his remaining potential, and they are the same franchise that turned Purdy into one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league despite his underwhelming profile as a former Mr. Irrelevant draft pick.
“The world works in mysterious ways,” Jones said. “I’m glad to be back here and learning from a great group of guys, and that’s players and coaches. So, you go where you go in the draft, right? You don’t get a lot of choice over that, but I’m definitely excited to be here now.”
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