What 49ers QB Mac Jones and Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield have in common

Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield were two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this weekend, and that is a few years after their careers were declared dead. There is a legitimate reason to believe the 49ers have the next Darnold or Mayfield with Jones. 

First, all three players were drafted high in the first round. Darnold and Mayfield went top five, and while Jones was considered to get drafted in the top five, he went in the top half of the first round. So, the pedigree and thought that they would be good is there.

Beyond that, all three showed glimpses at a point and time. Mayfield has the most wins all-time at their home stadium to this date, and Darnold flashed far more than Zach Wilson with the Jets; he was just settled with Adam Gase. Of course, Mac Jones made the playoffs in his rookie season. 

Darnold and Mayfield had to hit a few stops after the team that drafted them did not like where things were going, and Jones has already played for two teams. Then, they found a great play caller. 

Mayfield found Sean McVay, and a fateful Thursday Night Football game changed the outcome of his life. Sounds a little like Mac Jones, no? Darnold found Kevin O’Connell, and while he was supposed to be the bridge to JJ McCarthy, he turned it into a $100M season. 

Jones is now 3-0 this year, and it looks like he may get another start or two. He was supposed to be the backup to Brock Purdy in the way that Darnold was supposed to be a bridge. 

It would be a bit much to expect Jones to turn into a future $100M quarterback, but we saw from two similar examples that anything is possible. The only thing is that Los Angeles and Minnesota revived their careers, but Tampa Bay and Seattle paid the salary. 

Will San Francisco help Jones earn the salary somewhere else?