NFL analyst says Mac Jones could be next QB to revitalize career

[ASFN Admin]

Mac Jones has had a strange NFL career thus far. A former first-round pick who made the playoffs and the Pro Bowl as a rookie, Jones has since fallen to the wayside during his stretches with the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars.

However, he's enjoyed success as a backup and spot-start for the San Francisco 49ers. Jones went 5-3 as a starter in place of the injured Brock Purdy in 2025 and completed 69.6% of his passing attempts for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. It's not hyperbole to say Jones' play kept the 49ers' 2025 season afloat and helped them make the playoffs.

While the team is content with keeping him for now, Jones could be an intriguing free agent for teams during the 2027 offseason. As such, NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha believes Jones could turn his career around as Sam Darnold did with the Seattle Seahawks (who was with the 49ers two years before signing with Seattle).

As much as we rave about the job head coach Kyle Shanahan did to lead the injury-plagued Niners to the playoffs, we shouldn't understate how much Jones contributed to that success when Purdy went down. The 2021 first-round pick looks much different than he did when he was playing his way out of New England. He's proving what he can do with better coaching and a better system. He's also following the same blueprint that helped Darnold, who spent a season in San Francisco as a backup in 2023 before moving onto Minnesota and later Seattle. Shanahan has a strong track record for bringing out the best in his quarterbacks. Jones should be the next journeyman to benefit from all that high-level mentoring.

Jones might not have the same full-year of starting experience Darnold enjoyed with the Minnesota Vikings before he signed with the Seahawks, but Jones proved his skill in the Shanahan offense that other teams employing a similar offense might appreciate.

This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers QB Mac Jones could be next QB to revitalize career

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