After the Cam Newton experiment in 2020, the Patriots were ready to look for their next franchise quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. They didn't have the best positioning in the first round, holding the 15th overall pick. But the incoming quarterback class was deep enough that they were still expected to snag one of the top prospects.
There was a lot of speculation about who that might be, with Alabama's Mac Jones being the one to fall into their lap. Rumors swirled claiming Bill Belichick was forced into taking him and preferred other players instead, but Jones was the player to take over under center and eventually led New England to the playoffs as a rookie.
That successful season would soon look like a blip in his career, as questionable coaching hires and poor roster building inevitably led to Jones' downfall. Whether his talent was also exposed as not being as good as experts projected is unclear, but the 2021 quarterback class has proven to be one of the worst in recent years.
Because of that, Jones was traded in 2024 to the Jaguars, his hometown team, and after a chaotic tenure in the AFC South, he signed with the 49ers this offseason. They were a team that seriously considered drafting Jones with the No. 3 pick they traded up for in 2021, so it makes sense that they signed him when they finally had the opportunity.
But their interest in Jones seems to be just as high as it was then, despite his forgettable career thus far.
The 49ers still believe Mac Jones can be a starter in the NFL in 2025
Four years after the mistake they made by selecting Trey Lance in Round 1, the 49ers hope to find a quality backup in Jones for presumed franchise quarterback Brock Purdy to work with. Now that Purdy's future looks to be solid with the 49ers after signing a massive extension earlier this week, it looks like having Jones as their backup is the plan.
However, their previous interest in Jones and apparent uncertainty surrounding Purdy could inevitably become something later on if Purdy's career doesn't live up to the standard they expect from him.
There had been a lot of speculation surrounding his extension and whether the 49ers would be on board with awarding the quarterback the payday he was likely due. They eventually agreed to an extension this past week, which still doesn't take away how interesting Klay Kubiak's latest take is regarding Jones being a potential starter.
“Going back to college, we obviously studied Mac coming out and we thought very highly of him and his skillset as a thrower and the things he did in college.
And then obviously as a rookie, what he did in the NFL was very impressive. Mac’s a really good thrower. He stands in the pocket, he’s a strong guy and he’s really smart. And so he’s got a lot of traits that we like for a starting quarterback. And his career has kind of gone up and down a little bit the past couple years, but we saw the same things in Jacksonville that we loved about him as a college prospect, and that really excites us. And he’s doing a great job. And I think Mac’s capable of being a starter in this league. And so he’s going to help us if he needs to.”
Given how Jones looked during his time in Jacksonville, it's hard to imagine any team would still feel he could legitimately be a starter. He wasn't consistent or reliable enough for the Jaguars to lean on him when Trevor Lawrence was injured, which led to him not being re-signed by the team.
At this stage in his career, it's fairer to assume Jones will be a backup or even QB3, where he would presumably be with the 49ers. Now that Purdy's future in San Francisco is no longer up in the air, it is assumed Jones won't be in line to be his replacement unless things get really bad. Obviously, the hope is that it won't happen, despite being so early in his career and being mostly unproven.
It feels like a disaster that the 49ers have more than enough evidence to show they should avoid it at all costs. But the assumption is they will see it sooner rather than later, and in the hope of the team's future, they won't give up too soon on Purdy if they view him as the future.