The return of the Mac.
Did I do that right?
Mac Jones is back like he never left, only he did leave. He's actually on a whole new team. The former first-round pick has signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Source: Mac Jones has agreed to terms with the #49ers on a 2-year deal for $7M with 5M guaranteed. Max value of $11.5M. A new, experienced backup for Brock Purdy. pic.twitter.com/mSpazHZQ4e
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2025
The contract includes $5 million guaranteed and can reach $11.5 million in total value with escalators. It's a fresh start for the 26-year-old former first-round pick, who spent last season as Trevor Lawrence's backup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jones appeared in 10 games (seven starts), completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 1,672 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
It has been tough sledding in recent years for the Alabama product. Once a Pro Bowl quarterback and upstart rookie in New England, Jones' star faded fast. He butted heads with Bill Belichick on his way out the door and eventually lost his job, kinda sorta, to Bailey Zappe. Last season was a fresh start, but the Jags were a mess. Really a rotten start. Now he goes to a competent organization with a great offensive coach and solid infrastructure in San Francisco. Things might actually be looking up.
Mac Jones joins 49ers as he looks to replicate Sam Darnold's magic
This was such an obvious move for both sides.
The Niners needed a new backup quarterback with Josh Dobbs and Brandon Allen out the door. Jones needed a real team capable of cultivating his talent in a winning environment. Normally when you break out arguments like, "but he was so good four years ago," you know a player is cooked. In the case of Jones and the Niners, however, there's reason to believe San Francisco can breath new life into his career.
That was magical rookie season in New England gave us the blueprint for Jones. He's not a perfect QB, but give him time in the pocket, a few dependable targets, and a coach who's confident in him, and the results will follow. As soon as Belichick made it his life's mission to undermine Jones and set up his demise, the dream vanished.
With Kyle Shanahan calling the shots — and with Brock Purdy serving as an example of what's possible for perfectly adequate QBs in an optimal scheme — we could see Jones get back into the swing of things. He showed plenty of winning traits at Bama. He's a smart QB when he has time to be smart. Time to process the field in front of him and step into throws. San Francisco can offer such an opportunity.
New England and Jacksonville were not conducive to the development of positive habits for a quarterback. Jones was under constant fire, dodging would-be tacklers left and right while never receiving much support. With the Niners, if Jones ever gets called upon, he'll have weapons like Brandon Aiyuk, Christian McCaffrey, and George Kittle at his disposal. He'll have a functional O-line, with a tautly calibrated scheme designed by a play-calling maestro in Kyle Shanahan. The entire league has been ripping off Shanahan for years. Jones gets to go straight to the source.
We shouldn't overhype this too much. He's still a mostly unproven commodity signing a two-year deal to serve as clear-cut QB2. But, as far as places where Jones can work in the shadows and potentially get his career back on the right track, San Francisco is a strong bet. Just ask Sam Darnold, the new $100 million man in Seattle.