Mac Jones made his first start for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, four years after believing he might become Kyle Shanahan's quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 49ers ultimately passed on Jones, selecting Trey Lance instead, while the New England Patriots drafted the Alabama product.
After stints in New England and with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones signed with the 49ers this past offseason to serve as backup to Brock Purdy. When a toe injury sidelined Purdy in Week 2, Jones finally got his first opportunity to lead the 49ers in a regular-season game.
Jones delivered a strong performance, completing 26 of 39 passes for 279 yards, three touchdowns, and a 113.1 passer rating. His efficient outing helped San Francisco secure a hard-fought 26-21 victory over the Saints and improve to 2-0 on the season.
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After the game, Jones credited Purdy for playing a pivotal role in helping him prepare for the start, even offering encouragement from the sidelines.
"Yeah, Brock was awesome," Jones said. "He's helped me all week, and he's doing a good job rehabbing. He knows how it is out there. He's like, 'You're doing great. Just keep ripping it.' And that's what it's all about. And I'm just trying to go out there and help the team however I can for down the road."
Jones looked calm and composed in his 49ers debut, leaning on Purdy's advice and support from his teammates.
"I think it's just not making it bigger than it is," Jones explained when asked about handling pregame nerves. "Sometimes, when you have them, you fight them, but you can't really do that. You just got to let them come and figure out how to work through it. And a lot of it is just breathing and slowing down your pulse.
"Obviously, worked on that this offseason, and got to continue to grow in that area. But really, the guys around me, like [T] Trent [Williams] came up to me, he's like, 'You're good, dude. Just go out there and hoop.' And I was like, 'I got you. I can go hoop.' And then, once he said that, I was like, 'All right, let's play ball.'"
The 49ers have not ruled out the possibility of Brock Purdy returning for Week 3's home opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Still, there's a real chance Mac Jones could be called upon again. If so, he should be even more confident heading into his second start with the team.