The San Francisco 49ers have found their franchise quarterback in Brock Purdy. While they are working to extend him, they seem to have great confidence in Mac Jones as well.
The 49ers have stayed adamant that a deal with Purdy will get done. They have continuously noted that talks are moving in a positive direction. However, they made sure to invest in a reliable backup. The team signed Mac Jones to a two-year, $8.4 million deal in free agency.
While Jones has gone from starter to backup after being a first-round pick in 2021, the 49ers like what they see in him. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak revealed the team sees him as a starting quarterback.
“Going back to college, we obviously studied Mac coming out and we thought very highly of him and his skillset as a thrower and the things he did in college,” Kubiak said per Sports Illustrated’s Grant Cohn.
“And then obviously as a rookie, what he did in the NFL was very impressive. Mac’s a really good thrower. He stands in the pocket, he’s a strong guy and he’s really smart. And so he’s got a lot of traits that we like for a starting quarterback. And his career has kind of gone up and down a little bit the past couple years, but we saw the same things in Jacksonville that we loved about him as a college prospect, and that really excites us. And he’s doing a great job. And I think Mac’s capable of being a starter in this league. And so he’s going to help us if he needs to.”
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Jones has made 49 starts in his career. He is 20-29 in his career with a Pro Bowl selection, which came in his rookie season. Jones started seven games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.
Jones had 1,672 yards, eight touchdowns and eight interceptions for the team. He could find great success in the 49ers system. There were plenty of rumors about the 49ers drafting Jones in 2021 instead of Trey Lance. Four years later, they finally have a chance to see what he can do. Purdy has had some rough injury luck in his career, so having a backup the team trusts is a great thing for Kyle Shanahan.
More NFL: 12 biggest rookie threats to steal NFL veteran jobs, from Omarion Hampton to Jalen Milroe
Read the full article here