Mac Jones joins the 49ers
Former first-rounder lands with team that considered him at No. 3 overall.
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Four years after the 49ers considered making him the third overall pick in the draft, quarterback Mac Jones has finally joined the 49ers.
Via multiple reports, the former Patriots and Jaguars quarterback has agreed to terms with the 49ers. It's a two-year, $7 million deal, with $5 million guaranteed. Jones can earn up to $11.5 million.
When the 49ers traded up in the 2021 draft, some believed that they'd take Jones in that spot. Instead, the 49ers selected Trey Lance. Jones fell to No. 15.
He made the Pro Bowl with the Patriots as a rookie. His career was derailed when former Patriots coach Bill Belichick made one of the stupidest decisions in recent years, putting a career defensive coach in charge of the offense. It led to a schism between Belichick and Jones, who unlike most Patriots players was willing to push back against Belichick.
Jones was traded to the Jaguars in 2024. He became a free agent on Wednesday.
His arrival comes as the 49ers hope to extend Brock Purdy, the last player taken in the 2023 draft. With Jones under contract through 2026 and Purdy signed for only one more year, Jones gives the 49ers leverage in the event they choose to play hardball with Purdy.
Does he deserve an extension? Absolutely. The challenge becomes pegging the value of it. And there could be a gap that might prompt the 49ers to let it ride for $5.2 million in 2025, knowing that the franchise tag will be available for 2026. And that Jones will still be under contract.
Is it the player? Is it the system? Is it some of both? Those are the most critical questions as Purdy and the 49ers try to figure out what his long-term contract should look like.
