Mac Jones has found success in San Francisco — something he wasn’t quite able to do in New England and Jacksonville.
After a strong rookie season with the Patriots, the quarterback regressed the following two seasons. Jones’ time in New England ended on a sour note, with MassLive reporting the communication between the QB and then-coach Bill Belichick was nonexistent by the end of the 2023 season.
Jones was eventually traded to the Jaguars — where he admitted the change of scenery helped him have fun again — but had a rough 2024 season with a 2-5 record in seven starts.
Now with the 49ers, Jones is 5-2 with 10 touchdowns as he keeps San Francisco in the playoff race. When asked if he feels he can be more himself with the Niners more so than other teams he played for, Jones didn’t hesitate to answer.
“Yeah, for sure,” Jones told reporters. “I really do feel that. It’s not a knock on anybody. I feel like this is a great organization that (has) a lot of laid-back people, (they’re) more my personality and just let me be me. And all the guys every day, they’re the same guys every day, whether we’re down in a game like last week or up in a game like this week. There’s the same mentality. And I really appreciate everybody, from coaches to everybody.”
Jones has been filling in for the injured Brock Purdy, who’s dealing with turf toe. Coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters it’s likely something that won’t fully go away whenever the quarterback returns.
It’s unclear who will start for the 49ers in Week 10 when they host the Los Angeles Rams.
In June, ESPN wrote that San Francisco is the perfect place for Jones to revive his career because he could take a similar path that Sam Darnold took. He played well enough with the 49ers that the quarterback earned a full-time opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings last season. Now with the Seattle Seahawks, Darnold is 6-2 in eight starts with 16 touchdowns.
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