Mac Jones once believed he might start his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers as the third overall pick in 2021. Many analysts predicted the team would select him. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was a fan of Jones and later admitted that the decision ultimately came down to Jones or Trey Lance, the player the 49ers chose.
Jones fell to the New England Patriots at No. 15, where he spent three seasons before being traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Meanwhile, Lance's time in San Francisco was even shorter—just two seasons—before he was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, four years after that draft, Lance is seeking his third NFL team, while Jones has landed with the team he originally thought would draft him—the 49ers. He will serve as Brock Purdy's backup for the 2025 season.
Was there any awkwardness in bringing in a quarterback who was once on the 49ers' radar?
"No. I mean, I talked to him after we signed him," Shanahan said Tuesday at the NFL's annual meeting in Florida. "I think he knows what happened. I talked to him a little bit after the draft four years ago, five years ago, whenever that was. So, had a small relationship with him since then.
"And it's kind of funny to put all that time into him in the draft and to wait five years later. But having him on our team and everything, we're excited about [it] and excited to get to work with him."
Shanahan reflected on what he liked about Jones coming out of college and why he's still intrigued by him today.
"I just loved how he played the position, especially in college," Shanahan said. "He got the ball to the right spots, didn't take sacks, would hang in there and get hit, but distribute the ball to his playmakers. And I've seen him do it [in] the NFL at a high level, and we're excited to get him working in our offense."
Shanahan acknowledged the mindset shift required when entering the league as a first-round pick versus coming in as a backup. Jones experienced that transition last season in Jacksonville, where he served as Trevor Lawrence's backup and only saw playing time due to Lawrence's injury.
"So I think he understands that role," Shanahan said. "And I think his mindset is just being the best quarterback you can be. When you come in as a backup, you can't always do that on Sunday. You've got to be ready every week, just in case, because you never know when a guy's going to get hurt.
"But to come in, and get the backup reps, to work with us throughout all these phases in the offseason, to go into training camp, I think he has a chance to improve every day. And from what I hear about him as a worker, I think he will."
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