The 49ers Think Mac Jones Still Can be a Starting NFL Quarterback

Technically, the 49ers didn't sign any starters this offseason.

Instead, they lost nine starting players and replaced them with rookies from the draft and backups in free agency. The only free-agent signing who has a legitimate chance to start Week 1 is safety Jason Pinnock and that's because Malik Mustapha might not miss a few games as he recovers from a torn ACL.

But the 49ers also signed Mac Jones, and he uses to be a starting quarterback. In fact, he has started 49 games and gone to a Pro Bowl. And he's still just 26-years-old.

That's why 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak loves Jones.

“Going back to college, we obviously studied Mac coming out and we thought very highly of him and his skillset as a thrower and the things he did in college," Kubiak said.

"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.”

High praise for a quarterback who has lost 19 of his past 25 starts.