Four and a half years ago, there were plenty of San Francisco 49ers fans hoping the team would select Mac Jones when general manager John Lynch gave up way too much to the Miami Dolphins to move up to the No. 3 overall position in the 2021 NFL Draft, with the obvious intent being to select a quarterback.
That, of course, didn't happen, as the Niners instead opted for Trey Lance while Jones was taken a dozen slots later at No. 15 overall by the New England Patriots.
It's wild how things work out sometimes—or don't work out—but Jones finally found his way to the 49ers this offseason, signing a two-year, $8.41 million deal in the early days of free agency back in March.
And with the man who ultimately became the Niners' franchise QB, that being the unlikeliest of options in 2022 "Mr. Irrelevant" Brock Purdy, out of action this past Sunday with a case of turf toe, Jones stepped in for San Francisco and performed beautifully in a 26-21 win over the New Orleans Saints, completing 26 of 39 passes for 279 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions, thus earning himself a 113.1 passer rating.
Now, let's not get this twisted. There is no quarterback controversy in the Bay. Did Jones play a great game? Absolutely. But will he be on the field when Purdy, who signed a five-year, $265 million deal in May, is ready to go? Absolutely not. So, any talk of a QB competition just needs to stop right now.
That said, though, Jones is a nice option to have if and when Purdy goes down again. And given the ridiculous amount of injuries San Francisco has suffered this year, you just never know. Seriously, when running back Christian McCaffrey is one of your healthiest players, you know things are a little off.
Jones also brings an interesting option into play come the offseason. As mentioned, the Alabama alum signed a two-year deal back in March, which came as a bit of a surprise, as many quarterbacks who know they'll be backups go looking for one-year deals if they think they might be able to find a place to compete for a starting job elsewhere after that one year is up.
Think of the deal now Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold signed with San Francisco ahead of the 2023 season—or the one he signed with the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the 2024 campaign, for that matter.
Mac Jones' trade value might have just skyrocketed
One wouldn't think the 49ers would want to trade Jones at all this season, not with Purdy's health up in the air right here at the start of the year. But, come the end of the campaign, there are likely going to be several teams looking for quarterback help. And just as things went for Darnold working with head coach Kyle Shanahan back in 2023, Jones could see his value rise even if he doesn't play too many more games.
Because that's just what Shanahan does with quarterbacks, even backups.
When the Patriots opted to move on from Jones following the 2023 season, all they received in return in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars was a sixth-round draft pick. But that was with Mac at a low point after the Pats gave him a defensive coordinator as an offensive coordinator in Matt Patricia, and Joe Judge, who made his name as a special teams coordinator, as a quarterbacks coach following a strong rookie season in which he led New England to the playoffs and made the Pro Bowl.
San Francisco obviously wouldn't be able to get a Day 1 or Day 2 pick for Jones, but a fourth-rounder for somebody desperate at the position certainly isn't out of the question. I mean, they got that for Lance, right? But that was the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones, so perhaps that needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
The point of all this, of course, is that Jones gives the Niners options, both for the present and for the future.