Jul 24, 2025; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) throws a pass during drills on the second day of training camp. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

49ers OC Klay Kubiak raves about quarterback's performance in camp

Originally posted on San Francisco 49ers on SI
By Grant Cohn | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Brock Purdy is tons of fun to watch.

He's not just a pocket quarterback. He scrambles, extends plays and tries things that look difficult. His highlights are a blast.

His backup, Mac Jones. is kind of boring. He's not particularly mobile, and he doesn't hunt for big plays. He gets rid of the ball quickly and takes what the defense gives him.

But, Jones quietly is having an outstanding training camp. Through five practices, he has completed a whopping 77 percent of his throws and been intercepted just once. As opposed to Brock Purdy, who has completed 68 percent of his passes and thrown three picks in four days.

Mac Jones is a great fit for the 49ers offense

On Tuesday, I asked 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak about Jones' progress in picking up the offense.

"He's picking it up really well," Kubiak said. "He has been really impressive. Mac is a really smart guy. He got all these reps in OTAs for the first time. Now, he's getting the second time through it, and you can see improvement. Yes, there are ups and downs. Yes, there are times when he needs to be more on it like everybody does, but Mac is real impressive picking up the offense. I think he's executing really well."

Jones is excellent at finding open receivers quickly. Plus he has a stronger arm than Purdy and can make some downfield throws that Purdy struggles to make consistently.

Jones simply can't ad lib well. So he needs to know the offense inside and out, and it seems like he's learning it quickly with the 49ers. Which is important, because as good as Purdy is, he's small and he runs around a lot, and one big hit could sideline him for weeks. The 49ers likely will need Jones to play at some point this season. And as of now, it seems like he'll be ready.

This article first appeared on San Francisco 49ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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