Mac Jones says 49ers’ system is ideal for efficient quarterback play

San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan and quarterback Mac Jones once looked like such a perfect match that when the 49ers traded three first-round picks to move up in the 2021 NFL draft, many people initially thought it was to draft Jones. As it turned out, neither the 49ers’ decision to draft Trey Lance nor Jones’ tenure in New England worked out as planned.

But now Jones is in San Francisco as the backup to Brock Purdy, and Jones still thinks the system in San Francisco is a perfect match for him.

“I think they do a great job explaining what the expectation of each play is and why they’re doing a certain play,” Jones told SI.com. “And there’s nothing left up to doubt, if that makes sense. And everything’s based on timing and rhythm and also playing off structure. So, it has all three elements of quarterback play. And yeah, it’s really interesting to watch it and see how they see the game because it is the correct way to see it. And as you can tell, the quarterback play is very efficient.”

As long as Purdy is healthy, Jones will be relegated to backup duty. But he’s optimistic that time in the 49ers’ system can help him develop as a quarterback who might one day be a starter again.