Former Jaguars QB Mac Jones Exemplified Baalke Era

The San Francisco 49ers have acquired former Jaguars QB Mac Jones on a two-year/ $7 million deal with $5 million guaranteed that could reach up to $11.5 million with incentives. Why did they make this deal? Not sure.

This is not the first time the 49ers have attempted to rehabilitate a first-round QB , as they signed Sam Darnold in 2023, but one has to ask if they turned on Jones' tape in Jacksonville? Even with giving him the benefit of playing with a poor roster, he still had Brian Thomas Jr and played mostly poorly.

Well, one should ask what did former Jaguars GM Trent Baalke think when he traded a sixth round pick just to immediately decline Jones' fifth-year option, turning a potential cheap four-year contract for an unknown into a one-year rental of a known player with clear limitations?

Was it the arm length? Is that what did it? Jones represents everything wrong with the Baalke era and now that he's gone, the team can get back to winning ways.

To Jones' credit, his development was ruined. He led the Patriots to the playoffs in his first year because he had a competent OC, he was then given an incompetent OC and struggled, perhaps making Baalke believe he could be rehabilitated.

But let's say Jones was rehabilitated. Are you re-signing him? Considering Trevor Lawrence is the franchise QB, where was this going? Sure backup QBs are needed but there were other options available that didn't sacrifice a draft pick.

So Baalke's plan was to get Jones back on track so that he could re-sign him for a deal that would have likely resembled the terms on his fifth-year option in order to back up a nine-figure starter? Or was it to get Jones back on track so another team could use him?

Baalke's lack of forward thinking on Jones resembles every single move he made as general manager. So when people question why James Gladstone is using free agency to fill out his roster, building the core of the team through the draft, it's because he has a plan, a vision.

While Jones may be able to rehab his career in San Francisco, at least 49ers GM John Lynch signed him to a two-year deal so he has an extra year to trade him for value. Something that appears Baalke never thought about.

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