The San Francisco 49ers have come to terms on a deal with free-agent quarterback Mac Jones. The deal is for two years and $7 million with $5 million guaranteed according to Adam Schefter who broke the news Wednesday evening. Jones, 26, was a first-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2021 and went to a Pro Bowl during his brief tenure in Foxboro. Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars last offseason where he spent one season backing up Trevor Lawrence, but was pressed into action when Lawrence was injured.
Jones showed the 49ers enough to entice them to offer him a deal and make him the backup quarterback to Brock Purdy. Given the contract status of Purdy and the long-standing connection of Niners Head Coach Kyle Shanahan to Jones, this deal has garnered more attention than the minuscule details of the contract would lead on. This has been further helped out by the reporting that Jones made a specific request to work with Shanahan in San Francisco.
Mac Jones Signs With San Francisco 49ers
Mac Jones agreed to a contract with the San Francisco 49ers late Wednesday night. The deal is for two years and $7 million with $5 million in guaranteed money and escalators that can net Jones up to $11.5 million. Schefter also noted in his reporting that Jones was particular in his first stab at free agency that he wanted to work with Shanahan. Jones, 26, spent the first three years of his career in New England before being traded for a sixth-round pick to Jacksonville last offseason.
Jones appeared in ten games for the Jaguars last year with Lawrence out of the lineup. Jones completed 65% of his passes for 167 yards per game, 8 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, good for an 80.5 passer rating and 39.8 QBR. With New England, Jones started 42 games, completed 66% of his passes throwing for 212 yards per game, 46 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions, with an 84.8 passer rating and 44.3 QBR.
The Winding Path To San Francisco For Jones
Jones had immediate success in New England as a rookie, being selected to the Pro Bowl as an alternate and giving Patriots’ fans hope in the wake of the departure of Tom Brady. Heading into his second season however, Bill Belichick replaced Josh McDaniels with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as the leaders of the offense and Jones struggled. After his third season in New England, the Patriots cut ties with Jones and sent him to the Jaguars, closer to his hometown.
The Patriots selected Jones with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama, but the conversations leading up to that draft were reportedly connecting Jones to the 49ers and Shanahan, who had the third pick. The 49ers ultimately went with Trey Lance and Jones fell to the Patriots at 15. Four years later, Jones and Shanahan are united, and depending on how things go with San Francisco’s starting quarterback Brock Purdy, and his contract negotiations, Jones could be primed for big-time football in the Bay Area.
Final Thoughts
I love this decision from both parties to make this deal happen. For Jones, he gets to be with steady and quality coaching for the first time since his rookie year, which was the best of his career, and for the 49ers, they not only get a cheap backup quarterback but one who Shanahan has publicly been connected to. The alarm bells should be going off for Purdy, and if they aren’t this year, they will be next year.
I’ve said for a long time a franchise with the infrastructure and organizational personnel of the San Francisco 49ers can afford to let Purdy go and test the market or trade him for assets. What they can not do as their cap situation worsens is make Purdy one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL. Going out and getting Jones to back Purdy up is a great football move and a great negotiating move by John Lynch and this 49ers organization. It’s a move that could spark new conversations about Jones’ career trajectory, Purdy’s contract situation, and the future of the quarterback position in San Francisco.
