Quarterback Mac Jones is coming off his first start with the San Francisco 49ers, the team he signed with in March to serve as Brock Purdy's backup. Entering his first free agency, Jones had multiple opportunities. Still, he felt that San Francisco was the right place to rejuvenate his career, working alongside Purdy and head coach Kyle Shanahan.
"I really had my sights on a few teams, and obviously Kyle had some communication with my agent and everybody," Jones said Tuesday morning on Bay Area radio station KNBR. "I was really excited to hear about the 49ers, and I really wanted to learn about the system, and just how quarterbacks have played really well, and how Brock's played so well in it.
"I thought it was a great chance for me to kind of rehab a little bit and come out here and just learn from people that I haven't been with before. It's been good so far, and it's a lot of work that we put in since then, and we've got a lot more work to put in, too."
Jones has acknowledged in the past that he viewed the 49ers as a possible destination during the 2021 NFL Draft. San Francisco held the No. 3 overall pick but selected Trey Lance, while Jones went on to become the New England Patriots' first-round pick. He later spent last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"For me, I was just excited to be in consideration to go in the first round, and I knew that I'd really had put in all the work," Jones said of his draft experience. "And at the end of the day, it's out of your control. I feel like everything fell the way it fell, and I'm back here now, and there's a reason I'm back here. I'm just excited to continue to work here."
Since arriving in San Francisco, Jones' respect for Purdy has only grown. He praised the 49ers' starting quarterback for his preparation, discipline, and leadership in practice and on game days.
"Brock's just an awesome guy, and he's funny, and very intense on game day, and very competitive," Jones explained. "It's just interesting to see how he works. He works really hard on his body and his game and his everything because he's definitely an ultimate pro.
"I've learned a lot just in OTAs (organized team activities), watching him, and he's a perfectionist, and that's what you want in your starting quarterback. So, it's been awesome just to learn and watch him.
"I know he wants to be back out there, and he's just doing a great job helping me while he's not."
As for Week 3, Jones admits he doesn't yet know whether he will start but says he's preparing as if he will.
"That's my job as a backup or a starter," Jones said. "You've just got to be ready to play, so I'll be ready if that's the case."
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