While he didn't directly come out and say it, quarterback Mac Jones certainly paid attention to how the San Francisco 49ers managed to turn around now-Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold's career.
Even if Darnold was only in the Bay Area for a single season and merely served as a backup to the Niners' primary starter, Brock Purdy.
Like Darnold, Jones is monikered as a former first-round bust who never quite lived up to expectations after the New England Patriots used the No. 15 overall pick on him during the 2021 NFL Draft.
After Darnold's subsequent success with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 after leaving San Francisco, Jones is hoping he can use his contracted two-year tenure under head coach Kyle Shanahan to his advantage.
Even if it means some tough love.
"The world works in mysterious ways," Jones told ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "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."
Back in the spring of 2021, there were plenty of rumors suggesting Shanahan and the 49ers were honing in on the former Alabama signal-caller after they traded up to No. 3 overall in the draft, yet those thoughts quickly ended when the Niners opted to draft North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance instead -- a move that ultimately floundered.
Now, as Purdy's new No. 2, Jones is hoping his tenure with San Francisco can have a Darnold-like result.
Even Shanahan has taken note.
"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 in the same interview with Wagoner.
Shanahan also pointed out how it's been good for Jones to make mistakes in practices, saying, "[if] you never throw a pick, you're probably not getting better."
And it's something Jones alluded to as well.
"Sometimes when you watch my film, it wasn't a full commitment throw and I want to get better at that," Jones added.
Like Darnold, Jones probably won't have too many meaningful opportunities with Purdy cemented as the franchise starter going forward.
But, as Darnold proved not long ago, it doesn't necessarily take a lot of on-field time to resurrect a career.
Read more from Niner Noise