Former New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones found a new home this week, signing a two-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. The 15th-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars last offseason, but there was an alternate universe where he would have gone to San Francisco sooner.
Most fans know about the rumors ahead of the 2021 draft which stated Shanahan preferred Jones over Trey Lance after trading up for the third overall selection. But what they may not have known is Shanahan took another swing at acquiring Jones last spring.
NFL Insider Says 49ers Tried to Trade for Mac Jones Last Offseason
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the 49ers attempted to trade for Jones when he was made available last offseason. Pelissero didn’t have parameters of a proposed trade, but considering the Patriots accepted a 2024 sixth-round pick for Jones, it may not have been significant enough for New England to pull the trigger.
Jones’s career had a promising start as he made the Pro Bowl, completing 67.6% of his passes for 3,801 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions during his rookie season in 2021. But, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left to take the head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving Jones to work with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge as co-offensive assistants in 2022.
The turmoil continued through the next two seasons as Jones completed 65.1% of his passes for 5,117 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions and split time with Bailey Zappe as the team’s starting quarterback.
Jones backed up Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville after last year's trade and completed 65.3% of his passes for 1,672 yards, eight touchdowns, and eight interceptions in 10 games and seven starts. But his arrival in San Francisco finally unites him with Shanahan, who believes accuracy is one of the most important attributes to run his offense.
While Jones has completed 65.9% of his passes during his career, he was one of college football’s most accurate quarterbacks during his time at Alabama, posting a 77.4% completion rate in his final year with the Crimson Tide.
This is all too late for the Patriots, who have moved on to Drake Maye, who made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. But Shanahan played a role in this year’s top quarterback free agent Sam Darnold’s path to getting paid and could do the same if he revives Jones’s career in San Francisco.