After failing to find a long-term in Jacksonville following his 2024 offseason trade away from the New England Patriots, Mac Jones has officially made a decision on his NFL future, choosing to sign with the San Francisco 49ers on a two-year deal to back up Brock Purdy.
Breaking the news on social media, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport noted that Jones made the decision not because of money but instead for a chance to learn under Kyle Shanahan, who will serve as his head coach moving forward.
“Source: Mac Jones has agreed to terms with the 49ers on a 2-year deal for $7M with 5M guaranteed. Max value of $11.5M. A new, experienced backup for Brock Purdy,” Rapoport wrote.
“The former Patriots starter, who played last year with the Jaguars, lands with Kyle Shanahan — a key factor in the decision.”
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Jones? On the 49ers? Being coached by Shanahan? The prophecy has been completed.
Now, for fans out of the know, before the 49ers decided to trade up and draft Trey Lance back in 2021, they were heavily linked to the Alabama product coming out of college, with some pundits calling Jones a perfect fit in Shanahan's scheme.
While that ultimately didn't happen, as the team decided to take a shot at the young dual-threat quarterback from North Dakota State with the biggest boom-bust potential in the class, there was always a segment of fans who wondered if Jones could have had a Kirk Cousins-like breakout campaign under Shanahan just like the genuine article back in Washington.
Will that happen? Will Jones march into camp and unseat Purdy as the 49ers QB of the future? Frankly, that feels rather unlikely, but the last first-round reclamation project to sign with the 49ers went on to have an MVP-caliber season in Minnesota and just signed a contract worth $100.5 million, so from a personal growth perspective, it's hard to argue with Jones' strategy on this one.