Mac Jones praises Brock Purdy, eager to learn in 49ers offense

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones spoke with reporters after Wednesday's practice, reflecting on his transition to the team that once passed on him during the 2021 NFL Draft in favor of Trey Lance. Was there any awkwardness or tension between head coach Kyle Shanahan and himself upon his arrival in the Bay Area?

"Yeah, we got in a huge fight," Jones joked before laughing.

"We were cool," he continued. "Kyle and I texted a little bit. Once again, I always loved watching their tape. When you look at stats around the league, they're always in the top five. You see the little San Francisco logo.

"I always loved watching what Kyle did throughout the years, and to finally get in and learn it, it's been a little bit challenging, but also a great challenge, because it's things I've done and some things I haven't done at all. And that's interesting, being my fifth year in the league, learning different footwork and timing, how he sees the game.

"So, it's all going to come together here, and I'm really excited to learn from Brock. He does a great job just following his rules and sticking to the program."

Reflecting on the drama surrounding the 2021 NFL Draft and the speculation that he might land with the 49ers, Jones is happy his journey eventually led to his arrival in Santa Clara.

"Obviously, the world works in mysterious ways, so I'm glad to be back here, and learning from a great group of guys, and that's players and coaches," Jones said. "You go where you go in the draft. You don't get a lot of choice over that, but I'm definitely excited to be here now."

Learning from Brock Purdy

Jones is now the backup to quarterback Brock Purdy, who recently signed a five-year, $265 million contract extension, making him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. As QB2, Jones is embracing the opportunity to learn from Purdy and grow within one of the league's most respected offensive systems.

Jones expressed deep respect for Purdy's remarkable NFL journey, from being the final pick in the 2022 draft to emerging as the 49ers' franchise quarterback, while dealing with a lot of criticism along the way.

"His story is so cool to me, just going where he went in the draft, and then just working his butt off, and getting what he deserves," Jones shared. "I think that's something that anybody can look at and be like, 'Wow, that was impressive.'

"And he's just willed to do everything the right way. It's something that stuck out to me, and like I said, I'm looking forward to working with him. Obviously, we're early in this working relationship, but everything's been going really smooth."

Jones also expressed admiration for Purdy's performance and the impact the 49ers quarterback has made in such a short time.

"Obviously watching Brock from afar, and being a fan from afar, just the way he plays the game, very precise, very on time, cerebral," Jones said. "It's all those things that I've done at some points in my career, and I just want to get more consistent at that. So, being here and learning from him and the coaches, not just Kyle, but everybody, all the coaches, I think it's going to really benefit me, just get me back playing how I know I can play, and that's to be ready when I get in there."