Mac Jones found redemption with Kyle Shanahan's 49ers, unexpectedly starring and fulfilling a long-held draft connection.
The San Francisco 49ers didn’t make headlines last offseason when they signed Mac Jones. At the time, the move felt practical. It was a low-cost, low-risk decision to backup Brock Purdy.
Now, it looks like one of the savviest moves they made.
Jones agreed to a two-year deal worth $8.4 million prior to the 2025 season, arriving in San Francisco with something to prove. After an uneven stint in New England and a brief stop in Jacksonville, the former first-round pick wasn’t looking for a guaranteed starting job. He was looking for a reset. He found it in Kyle Shanahan’s system.
What the 49ers never could have predicted was how important Jones would become. When Purdy went down with a toe injury midseason, Jones was thrust into the starting lineup for eight games. Rather than simply keeping the offense afloat, he helped it function at a high level. The 49ers went 5-3 in his starts, including a signature road win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5, when Jones threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-23 upset.
By season’s end, he had totaled 2,151 passing yards with 13 touchdowns against six interceptions. More importantly, he executed Shanahan’s scheme without dramatically altering it. The playbook stayed intact. The rhythm remained.
There’s an added layer of intrigue to Jones’s presence in San Francisco.
Back in 2021, he was heavily linked to the 49ers leading up to the draft. Shanahan’s interest was widely reported before the team ultimately selected Trey Lance third overall. Jones instead went to New England at No. 15. Years later, the quarterback admitted that Shanahan had wanted him during that predraft process.
Sometimes stories have a way of circling back.
Jones’ decision to embrace a backup role in 2025 mirrored the career reset Sam Darnold once pursued in the same system. It allowed him to rebuild confidence, showcase competence, and reestablish value around the league. Yet despite that bump in trade speculation, reports indicate the 49ers have no intention of moving him.
Financially, it makes sense. Jones carries a manageable cap hit and provides one of the more reliable insurance policies in the league behind Purdy. For a team with championship aspirations, stability at quarterback, multiple levels deep, matters.
What began as a depth signing has evolved into something more significant. And in a twist few could have scripted, Shanahan finally got his quarterback, just in a round about way different from what anyone would have expected.