After a stunning three-touchdown performance, a lot of teams are going to be watching San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones very closely. The former New England Patriot and Jacksonville Jaguar far exceeded expectations in his first start with the Niners, and he should get an opportunity to prove that was no fluke with Brock Purdy still on the mend.
Jones dropped back to pass 39 times, completing 26 of his passes for 279 yards, which was good for a 66.7 completion percentage. That accuracy has been one of the strengths Jones has shown throughout his up-and-down career, and he showed that when he's on, he could be productive.
Sure, he doesn't have the biggest arm. His average depth of target on Sunday was just 7 yards, but solid ball placement and good reads allowed him to hit receivers in stride, and 49ers pass catchers averaged 5.2 YAC per reception.
Depending on how long Purdy remains sidelined, Jones might be a necessity. After all, he's now shown he can handle head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense and lead the team to wins.
With that said, if Purdy is back sooner rather than later, four quarterback-needy teams would be wise to call up San Francisco and pony up some assets for the second-string signal-caller.
Bengals should place an urgent call to the 49ers regarding Mac Jones
The Cincinnati Bengals are a team in win-now mode with a pair of high-flying wide receivers in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. They also just lost superstar quarterback Joe Burrow for three months with a toe injury.
Cincinnati is lucky to be sitting at 2-0. It narrowly escaped Cleveland with a one-point win in the season opener over the Browns, and then had to fight back against the Jacksonville Jaguars to emerge victorious in Week 2.
Burrow's backup, Jake Browning, did manage to throw for 241 yards and two touchdowns, but his three picks should give them pause on relying on him long-term. The Bengals will need to be sure that they have someone under center who can hold down the fort until Burrow comes back for the stretch run; otherwise, their season will be a lost cause.
Jets could get off the Justin Fields rollercoaster by calling up the 49ers
The New York Jets have seen Justin Fields put up the best performance of his career, followed by the worst performance of his career, before leaving Sunday's game with a concussion that has put his status for Week 3 in doubt.
They could quickly learn what the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers already know about Fields, whom they brought in this offseason in an attempt to catch lightning in a bottle. Jones, in many ways, is the anti-Fields. He won't make the explosive plays downfield, and he won't tear defenses apart with his legs.
That said, he can make the short and intermediate throws on time and with accuracy, which are things Fields struggles with greatly. Gang Green might just be on a quest to employ all five first-round QBs from the 2021 class, and a move for Jones would put them more than halfway there.
Steelers might want to pull the plug on the Aaron Rodgers experiment early and call 49ers about Mac Jones
In all likelihood, 2025 will be Aaron Rodgers' final year in the NFL. After a stellar showing in the opener against his former team, the Jets, Rodgers looked much more like the quarterback who was a huge letdown in New York last season.
He completed just 16 passes on 33 attempts for 203 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. The 41-year-old would get pulled at the end of the blowout loss in favor of Mason Rudolph. Should Rodgers prove that Week 1's performance was fueled by adrenaline and a desire for revenge, rather than any remaining magic in his right arm, the Steelers already know that Rudolph isn't a suitable replacement.
Therefore, Jones could make a lot of sense for a team that has cycled through former stars who are on their last legs at the position, and could give Pittsburgh its first quarterback with some actual upside in quite some time.
Browns could come calling and look at Mac Jones as a potential QB solution
The Deshaun Watson experience in Cleveland has proven to be a gamble that turned out in the worst way possible. From off-field controversies, poor on-field performance, and a myriad of injuries, Watson has proven to be a grave error for the franchise.
Now in his second stint cleaning up after Watson in Cleveland, 40-year-old Joe Flacco might no longer be the answer. In fact, the Browns let him walk after the 2023 season despite some late-season magic that earned them a playoff berth, showing that even when he was playing well for them, they still weren't sold.
Flacco has never been known for his mobility, but at his advanced age, he's particularly statuesque in the pocket these days. He still has a gunslinger mentality, despite his arm slowing down a bit.
Flacco threw for 290 yards in the opener against Cincinnati, but his two interceptions helped limit Cleveland to just 16 points. His Week 2 follow-up was even worse, throwing for just 199 yards on 45 attempts, adding another interception, and posting a putrid 30.2 QBR in the 41-17 drubbing at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns are not only 0-2 on the year, but they're 0-2 against their own division, already putting them behind the 8-ball. They might not have as much firepower as in years past, but with Myles Garrett leading the defense and some intriguing young weapons alongside a solid offensive line on the other side of the ball, they still have eyes on contending in 2025.
They might just find that Flacco isn't the man to lead that charge, and Jones would be a significantly better option.