49ers' Mac Jones discusses future, wanting to be NFL's next Sam Darnold

In February, it seemed to be a lock that some quarterback-needy team would make a trade with the San Francisco 49ers for backup Mac Jones. However, no trade materialized before the 49ers gave Jones a small pay bump ahead of the NFL's summer break. 

During a recent appearance on the "Bussin' with the Boys" podcast, Jones opened up about what didn't happen during the offseason. 

Mac Jones tried "to stay locked in" amid rumors, uncertainty

"But yeah, this offseason was tough a little bit — just like gathering all those thoughts and trying to stay locked in," Jones explained, per David Bonilla of 49ers WebZone. "That's like all extra noise, but it is out there, and you're getting questions about it every event you go to, s--t like that."

Jones went 5-3 as the 49ers' temporary starter last season as QB1 Brock Purdy missed games due to a toe injury. It was thought this past winter that Jones' performances in those contests had impressed clubs around the league. However, a June report shared that teams were "reluctant to trade away valuable draft capital" for Jones and/or wanted "cheaper" options this offseason.

Mac Jones hopes to follow in the footsteps of Sam Darnold

Long before quarterback Sam Darnold helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl this past February, he spent the majority of the 2023 season serving as Purdy's primary backup. Darnold then resurrected his career with the Minnesota Vikings during the 2024 campaign before he inked a three-year, $100.5M contract to join the Seahawks in March 2025. 

"Like seeing ghosts, all the stuff that I went through," Jones said about Darnold. "So, he knows, and then he goes and wins the Super Bowl. How cool is that? ...So, I feel like I can get there, and I still have a lot to do, and I want to stack a couple of good years. I'm still 27. I have some good scars and bad scars, but I know I can play. But I do want to get that chance again, to run a team and be the guy. ..But if you can get that chance again, I feel like I can really elevate people around me. And whether that comes soon or later or never, I know I'm going to be ready for it. I hope it does happen."

For now, Jones will need to focus on being ready to take meaningful snaps for the 2026 49ers in the event that Purdy becomes unavailable for any reason. That said, some think a team that loses a QB1 to an injury this summer or fall will call the Niners about Jones before the in-season trade deadline arrives in November.