49ers OC praises Mac Jones amid Brock Purdy uncertainty

Mac Jones' presence with the San Francisco 49ers continues to raise eyebrows as starting quarterback Brock Purdy remains in the final year of his inexpensive rookie contract heading into the second weekend of May. 

While speaking with reporters on Thursday, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak offered high praise for the 26-year-old on track to serve as Purdy's primary backup through the upcoming season. 

"Mac's a really good thrower," Kubiak said, 49ers WebZone's David Bonilla shared. "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."

For years, rumors have suggested that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted to select Jones over Trey Lance with the third overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. San Francisco ultimately traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in August 2023, while Jones earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie with the New England Patriots. 

However, Jones produced back-to-back disappointing seasons with New England before that club shipped him to the Jacksonville Jaguars in March 2024. He made seven starts with the Jaguars this past campaign. 

As of Friday morning, Purdy's camp and the 49ers hadn't yet come to terms on an extension many believed would be signed by this portion of the offseason program. Shanahan, 49ers CEO Jed York and general manager John Lynch have repeatedly backed Purdy as the club's long-term franchise quarterback since the end of the 2024 campaign. Nevertheless, questions about whether or not this regime believes Purdy is worthy of being paid over $50M per season will hover over the organization for as long as he doesn't have an extension in hand. 

"...I think Mac's capable of being a starter in this league," Kubiak added. "And so, he's going to help us if he needs to."

While training camp has yet to get underway, it sounds like Kubiak would be comfortable if Jones had to be more than a spot-starter for San Francisco this coming fall.