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49ers' new backup QB may not inspire much confidence
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has always seemed to be a fan of quarterback Mac Jones.
In August 2022, the coach told the "I Am Athlete" podcast he was considering taking Jones or QB Trey Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Niners took Lance with pick No. 3, but that didn't work out. San Francisco traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in 2023 after he went 2-2 in four starts in two seasons with the club.
Now, Shanahan is set to coach the QB he passed on in 2021. On Wednesday night, NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport tweeted Jones and the 49ers have agreed to a two-year, $7M deal with $5M guaranteed.
Source: Mac Jones has agreed to terms with the #49ers on a 2-year deal for $7M with 5M guaranteed. Max value of $11.5M. A new, experienced backup for Brock Purdy. pic.twitter.com/mSpazHZQ4e
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2025
Jones will likely serve as the backup to 49ers starting QB Brock Purdy. However, Shanahan may feel Jones — whom the New England Patriots selected with pick No. 15 in 2021 — could be an intriguing project.
In 2023, the 49ers signed QB Sam Darnold — a former New York Jets flop — to back up Purdy. He would only spend one season with the Niners, but his brief stint in San Francisco may have helped him salvage his career.
In 2024, Darnold signed with the Minnesota Vikings and finished fifth in the league in touchdown passes (35 in 17 starts). On Monday, he signed a three-year, $100.5M deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
"It was huge," Darnold said of his time with the Niners in September 2024. "Just being able to learn how they do things over there, not only schematically but as an organization. It was great to be a part of it for a year. The season we had last year was amazing to be a part of."
It's hard to envision that playing in San Francisco will be as beneficial for Jones.
He has regressed since making the Pro Bowl in his rookie season in 2021. In three seasons with New England, he went 18-24 in the regular season and posted a below-average 85.8 passer rating.
In 2024, he filled in for injured Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, going 2-5 in seven starts. During this span, he tossed the same number of touchdown passes and interceptions (eight).
Purdy staying healthy for the entire season would be the best-case scenario for the Niners. It's unclear if Jones can step in and win games, even if Shanahan likes him.
More must-reads:
- Longtime 49ers FB's wife has blunt reaction to release
- How Geno Smith could impact 49ers' contract talks with Brock Purdy
- The 'Rookie passing yard leaders by NFL franchise' quiz
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Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Mariners' Cal Raleigh makes history with 40th home run
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh clubbed his 40th home run of the season on Saturday night against the Los Angeles Angels, not only extending his major league lead but also making him the first player in baseball to reach the 40-home run mark this season. It also helped him make some history. With his 40th home run, Raleigh became both the first catcher and the first switch-hitter in baseball history to reach the 40 home run mark before the end of July. Here is a look at his 40th home run. He is already in the process of having one of the best seasons ever for a Mariners player, and also one of the best seasons ever for a catcher, for any team. Especially when you add in his defense, where he is one of the best defensive catchers in the league. His only serious competition for the American League MVP Award remains New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. But with Judge sidelined for some time now due to an elbow injury, it might open the door for Raleigh to put himself in the lead for that award.
Matthew Golden receives nickname and comparison from Packers assistant coach that will leave fans salivating to watch him play
The 4'2 40-yard dash and the speed Matthew Golden shows on tape were big motivators for the Green Bay Packers to finally select a wide receiver in the first round after 23 years. In the first week of training camp, his smoothness to run routes is evident, and his quickness to explode from the line of scrimmage catches the attention of everyone around him. Assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia is no different. He likes to give players nicknames based on profile comparison, and Golden has already received his: Bob Hayes, the Bullet, a former star Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers receiver who was an All-Pro three times in the 1960s and won two gold medals in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics on track and field. Hayes, who passed away in 2002, one year before Matthew Golden was born, is the only person to win both a Super Bowl title and an Olympic gold medal. "[Bisaccia] told me to look him up. I looked him up and I saw he was real fast," Golden said in the locker room. "So he gave me that nickname." Bob Hayes played for the Cowboys from 1965 through 1974. He was a First-Team All-Pro in 1966 and 1968, a Second-Team All-Pro in 1967, and a Pro Bowler in those three years. With speed as his calling card, he was the NFL receiving touchdowns leader in 1965 and 1966. It's impossible to know how close Matthew Golden will be to that amazing career, but this is an answer the Packers don't need right now. So far, the early signs are as promising as they could be. "For any of these guys coming in for the first time, you don't know the opportunities that are going to be presented to each player, and then they’ve got to respond," general manager Brian Gutekunst said earlier this week. "We think he's got a chance to certainly make an impact for our football team. I think it's going to be a competitive group. But again, we took him where we took him for a reason. At the same time, he's a third-year college kid. He has two years at Houston, one year at Texas. So far, so good." Part of the appeal for the Packers was Golden's positional versatility. In his lone season at Texas, the wide receiver played 664 snaps outside, 175 in the slot, and even 12 in the backfield. "It's easier initially to start with a primary position, but really it's about how much they can handle," head coach Matt LaFleur explained. "The more he shows he can handle, that will naturally occur. We've done a nice job, [passing game coordinator Jason] Vrable and [wide receivers coach Ryan] Mahaffey do a really good job training these guys. We always try to teach concepts and where you fit within the concept. The more a player proves he can handle that and move around, the more opportunities he gets." Matthew Golden has shown he can impact the offense right away. As fast as he is on the field.
Aaron Rodgers had the worst possible start to Steelers camp
Aaron Rodgers made his practice debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, and it was not necessarily a moment he will want to remember. Rodgers’ very first pass was intercepted by linebacker Patrick Queen. The quarterback was trying to find top target DK Metcalf on a curl route, but was not quite accurate enough. Rodgers will not lose any sleep over this. It is not the first interception he has thrown in a practice session and it will not be the last. It did make for some amusing viewing for critics, though, and even some Steelers fans got a chuckle out of it. The Steelers are hoping Rodgers can lift them to at least a playoff win in 2025. If he succeeds, he is in line for a pretty big payday, and might even be able to go out on a high note if this is in fact his final NFL season. The other bright side to Rodgers’ inauspicious start to his Pittsburgh career? It will probably make Giants rookie Jaxson Dart feel a little bit better about his own first pass.
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