Mac Jones cites Kyle Shanahan as a key reason for joining 49ers

Mac Jones' career needs a rebound, and he's hoping Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers can make it happen.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had the chance to land former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones back in the 2021 NFL Draft after trading up to the No. 3 overall pick.

Instead, the Niners grabbed quarterback Trey Lance, a move that didn't work out well for either party and led to Lance being jettisoned to the Dallas Cowboys in 2023.

Jones, meanwhile, flashed promise early after being selected by the New England Patriots at No. 15 overall, making the Pro Bowl his first year and earning PWFA All-Rookie honors.

Since then, though, Jones' career has floundered. He found himself traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 as Trevor Lawrence's backup and was then allowed to hit the free-agent market entering 2025 where Shanahan finally got his hands on him to back up his own starter, Brock Purdy.

While Jones' presence affords some insurance against a potential Purdy holdout this offseason amid the latter's contract extension talks, the former first-round draftee can certainly hope his forthcoming two-year tenure in the Bay Area leads to bigger and better things.

Especially if Shanahan assists in that process.

Mac Jones on Kyle Shanahan: 'His résumé speaks for itself'

While Jones didn't shy away from heaping praise on Purdy during the arriving quarterback's first public interview with San Francisco, it certainly appears as if Shanahan's presence was a major draw:

“It’s a proven system," Jones said of Shanahan's offense. "I know Brock personally, and he’s done a great job and played really good football in the NFL. So I’ve been really watching him from afar on game film and stuff, and just want to learn from him and be a sponge.

"Obviously, Kyle and his résumé speaks for itself. He’s done a great job in the NFL, and he always produces each year, and that’s something that I want to be around.”

Jones might have also paid attention to how now-Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold took a career trajectory that involved a short stay with the 49ers after flounding with both the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers after being a high-profile first-round selection back in 2018.

Related story: New Seahawks QB credits Brock Purdy for getting his game to the next level

Darnold, who served as Purdy's backup in 2023, used that experience to land a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings the following offseason where he became one of the biggest reclamation stories in the league after the Vikings lost their presumed franchise centerpiece, J.J. McCarthy, to a season-ending knee injury prior to Week 1.

That telegraphed Darnold into his current deal with the Hawks.

Whether or not Jones' career follows a similar path is to be determined, but it's evident he sees Shanahan as a key player in the journey.

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