49ers OC: Mac Jones still has ‘a lot of traits’ to be good NFL starting QB

Mac Jones could still become a regular starter in the NFL, so says the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff. As of now, Jones is the backup to Brock Purdy out west.

The 2021 first round pick out of Alabama had his fair share of rookie struggles, baut guided the New England Patriots to a 10-7 record and the AFC Wild Card round. Since then, it’s been downhill for Jones.

His stats dipped, was eventually benched and traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars and only had seven starts last year. Where can he recapture the magic that led him to the first round? Maybe it’s a resurrection project in San Francisco.

“Going back to college, we obviously studied Mac (Jones) coming out and we thought very highly of him and his skillset as a thrower and the things he did in college,” offensive coordinato Klay Kubiak said Friday, via Grant Cohn of Sports Illustrated. “And then obviously as a rookie, what he did in the NFL was very impressive. Mac’s a really good thrower. He stands in the pocket, he’s a strong guy and he’s really smart. And so he’s got a lot of traits that we like for a starting quarterback.

“And his career has kind of gone up and down a little bit the past couple years, but we saw the same things in Jacksonville that we loved about him as a college prospect, and that really excites us. And he’s doing a great job. And I think Mac’s capable of being a starter in this league. And so he’s going to help us if he needs to.”

Not only does he have Kubiak, he has head coach Kyle Shanahan. The latter is known for his quality coaching up of quarterbacks, such as Purdy, who was the final pick of his respective draft. So, is Jones next?

In four years, Jones has 10,590 yards, 54 touchdowns, 44 interceptions and a 65.9% completion percentage. Not terrible, but not great either.

Jones became the starter at Alabama in 2020 following Tua Tagovailoa and led the Crimson Tide to a national title. He threw for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 77.4% completion percentage. It was easy to see why he vaulted into the first round.

As a member of the Class of 2017, Jones was a four-star recruit out of Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 38 overall prospect in the state, the No. 20 quarterback in the class and the No. 272 overall prospect in the class.