It's taken longer than he might have liked, but in his fifth NFL season, Mac Jones has finally found himself in a situation where he is both consistently comfortable and confident.
And that's in large part because in San Francisco, Jones is in a place where he feels like he can be himself.
Jones moved his record as the 49ers' starter to 5-2 with a 34-24 win over the New York Giants on Sunday, a game that saw him complete his first 14 passes en route to a 19-of-24 performance with 235 yards and two touchdowns. It was the latest success for Jones since taking over for the injured Brock Purdy, whose return remains a wait-and-see proposition due to turf toe.
"I thought Mac did a hell of a job, extremely efficient what he was doing, going against a real tough pass rush," head coach Kyle Shanahan said after the win. "Probably only one negative play in the game, just a fumble there at the end of the 2nd quarter... But Mac played really well, took care of the ball, and got the ball to the right guys, and made a couple plays with his legs too."
Jones now has 1,832 yards, ten touchdowns and five interceptions with the 49ers, whom he originally signed with over the offseason to play a backup role to Purdy. But Jones has had to play a bigger part in the 49ers' season than originally anticipated, and along the way he's re-established himself as the type of quarterback many thought he'd be when he was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. Jones was asked after the win over the Giants if he is able to be himself more with the 49ers than he was in his three seasons with the Patriots and his 2024 stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he answered in the affirmative, while giving credit to the people around him for making that happen.
"Yeah, for sure. I mean, I really do feel that," Jones said. "It's not a knock on anybody. I feel like this is a great organization that (has) a lot of laid back people that's more my personality and just lets me be me. And all the guys everyday, they're the same guys everyday, whether we're down in a game like last week or up in a game like this week. There's the same mentality. And I really appreciate everybody, from coaches to everybody."
Whatever the reason may have been for Jones not feeling like he could truly be himself during his previous NFL stops, it's clear he doesn't have the same issues with the 49ers. And it seems to have helped shore up his confidence, which based on what he says doesn't seem to have ever been lacking but perhaps took a slight hit or two throughout the challenges he previously had in his career.
"I'm pretty confident in myself," said Jones, who was 18-24 as a starter with the Patriots before they parted ways after the 2023 season. "I think I've had my, you know, I'm not gonna say issues, but I've had my ups and downs with that, and I really just toned it down to just believing in myself and believing in Kyle and the system here. And the guys just let me be myself, which is kind of different than what I've had in the past, so I appreciate that."
Jones also seems to have found a fit off the field with the 49ers, which is not surprising given the nature of his teammates. The 49ers are a team that for years has had a close-knit locker room where many of its players hang out away from football, which is something that one of the team's ringleaders, tight end George Kittle, says Jones has acclimated to quite well.
"I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty sure he's had the confidence. I think he's just opened up to the boys because we're a very supportive team," Kittle said Sunday. "We're a very inclusive team. We like to do things together. We like to hang out.
"Mac is an honorary tight end. He just has that juice to him. He has that energy, that kind of free flowing love. So Mac fits in perfectly with our locker room."
But Jones of course has been much more than a new buddy to the other 49ers players. He's been one of the team's most valuable players through the first nine games and a big reason why the 6-3 49ers are in the thick of the NFC West race despite having a roster that has been decimated with injuries.
"When we give him time, he wheels and deals the ball. He's a first-round talent for a reason," left tackle Trent Williams said Sunday. "We're just really, really blessed to have him. Losing your franchise quarterback and your number two comes in and you don't miss a beat, that's super, super lucky to have him."
With Purdy's turf toe being a condition that could affect him throughout the year, the 49ers could need Jones to remain at the ready the rest of the way. Fortunately, Jones's success over his seven starts seems to be no fluke, and there's no reason to think he won't continue to give them a chance to win whenever he's called upon, in large part because of the comfort zone that he finds himself in.
"I just want Mac to keep being Mac," Kittle said. "He's helping our team out tremendously and you know if he feels like he gets to be himself more with us, that makes me extremely happy because that's what my goal is. I don't want guys to feel like they have to fit a certain mold. Our mold is high energy, high effort, play as hard as you possibly can and hit people really hard. And if Mac can just be himself out there, that's fantastic for us because when people are just allowed to be themselves, that's when they are at their best."