SANTA CLARA, Calif. — After an early June organized staff exercise, new San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones walked to a podium within the bowels of Levi’s Stadium and answered questions for about 11 minutes.
As Jones patiently responded to queries about the whole lot from how he was almost picked by the Niners within the 2021 NFL draft to why he believes coach Kyle Shanahan can get his profession again on monitor, one thing was clearly nagging him.
On the observe area moments earlier, Jones had struggled, throwing an interception on to cornerback Derrick Canteen and lacking a handful of open receivers, together with an overthrow to rookie wideout Jordan Watkins on a deep ball.
All through his media session, Jones alluded to his misfires on a number of events, opening a window into the very first thing that he and the 49ers should repair as he steps into the No. 2 quarterback position behind Brock Purdy: rebuilding his means to belief what he sees and lower it free.
“My purpose is to essentially simply have nice makes an attempt like, you understand, is the ball speculated to go there?” Jones mentioned. “And whether it is, then let it fly and be dedicated to it. Generally once you watch my movie, it wasn’t a full dedication throw and I need to get higher at that. … That is the entire level of soccer is to attempt these throws, be taught from them, after which once you get to the sport you’ll be able to say, ‘Hey, I can do that,’ or ‘I’ll examine this one down, you understand, I am attempting to guard the ball.’ So, I’ve realized the arduous approach in a approach.”
Certainly, Jones has taken a much more circuitous path to the pink and gold of the 49ers than many observers would have anticipated when he entered the NFL out of Alabama in 2021. On the time, the Niners despatched a trio of first-round picks and extra to the Miami Dolphins to maneuver from No. 12 to No. 3 to pick their franchise quarterback.
Though Jones was broadly considered the seemingly selection for a lot of the run-up to that draft, the Niners in the end chosen North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Jones tumbled to the New England Patriots with the fifteenth decide.
Because it turned out, neither Lance nor Jones can be the long-term reply for the Niners or Patriots, respectively, and each groups shortly moved on to different choices. Jones was shipped to Jacksonville after a promising rookie season (56.9 QBR) gave method to a pair of disappointing years during which he posted QBRs of 38.4 in 2022 and 37.5 in 2023.
That one-year cease with the Jaguars provided Jones seven beginning alternatives, with Trevor Lawrence injured, however he did not present many indicators of enchancment, posting a 39.8 QBR.
Jones set off into free company for the primary time in March and went trying to find an opportunity to play for a coach who has a monitor report of compressing essentially the most from his quarterbacks.
Shanahan was the plain selection in what felt for either side like a pairing that was all the time going to occur sooner or later. On the outset of free company, Jones and Shanahan texted, with Jones even joking that the pair “bought in an enormous combat” over the Niners’ unique draft choice.
“The world works in mysterious methods,” Jones mentioned, laughing. “I am glad to be again right here and studying from an awesome group of men, and that is gamers and coaches. So, you go the place you go within the draft, proper? You aren’t getting a variety of selection over that, however I am positively excited to be right here now.”
Upon arrival in San Francisco, Jones went by an intensive course centered on fixing his fundamentals. For 3 weeks, Shanahan, offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak and quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi went by cutups of Jones’ earlier movie, in addition to tape of different sign callers displaying Jones issues just like the footwork wanted to achieve the offense.
“To observe him undergo these three weeks engaged on some method issues and simply how we see soccer, I am hoping it helps him and he enjoys it,” Shanahan mentioned.
Tough observe days apart, having fun with his new place of employment hasn’t been an issue for Jones thus far. He is made it clear that he likes being coached arduous and that he is craved the problem that Shanahan and his employees have put earlier than him.
Jones’ likelihood to be taught the fundamentals of Shanahan’s offense extends past the teaching employees.
In one other fateful twist, when he was a younger participant at Alabama, Jones as soon as performed host for a recruiting go to by a younger quarterback named Purdy. The pair spent that evening in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, hanging out and enjoying video video games, and although Purdy in the end opted for Iowa State, Jones has loved watching Purdy develop into the quarterback who lately signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension with the 49ers.
For Jones, Purdy affords a each day reminder of how creating in the precise place with the precise teaching employees will pay large dividends.
Earlier than signing with the Niners, Jones additionally famous the ascent of Sam Darnold, one other former excessive draft decide who struggled elsewhere, went to San Francisco and has since loved success with the Minnesota Vikings and signed a large free agent cope with the Seattle Seahawks.
Regardless of Jones’ struggles elsewhere, the 49ers nonetheless see related potential in him.
“He is bought a variety of traits that we like for a beginning quarterback,” Kubiak mentioned. “His profession has type of gone up and down slightly bit the previous couple years, however we noticed the identical issues in Jacksonville that we liked about him as a university prospect, and that actually excites us… I feel Mac’s able to being a starter on this league.”
For that to occur, Jones goes to should rebuild from the bottom up, beginning along with his confidence. Jones says it is vital for him to acknowledge what he might have completed higher in earlier stops, and he intends to make use of these “scars” as motivation to enhance.
In San Francisco, he is the clear backup behind the unquestioned starter in Purdy. Whether or not he performs or not stays to be seen, although Purdy did miss a pair of video games resulting from damage in 2024.
And if Jones must step in, Shanahan does not need him to lament the interceptions thrown in observe or OTAs however keep in mind these errors so he does not make them once more when it actually counts.
“[If] you undergo all these practices and also you by no means throw a decide, you are most likely not getting higher,” Shanahan mentioned. “It is arduous once you get in that stadium and issues like that. Not solely are you getting hit for the primary time, however now all that stuff counts and if you happen to do not let it rip and undergo all that in observe, you are not going to get any higher within the video games after which it is normally a matter of time earlier than somebody passes you up.”
