Kubiak believes 49ers' Jones still is a starting-caliber QB
Kubiak believes 49ers' Jones still is a starting-caliber QB originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There will be more than one starting-caliber quarterback in San Francisco throughout the 2025 NFL season.
This offseason, the 49ers signed former first-round pickMac Jones to serve as backup to quarterback Brock Purdy.
If Jones, who was speculated to be selected by San Francisco in the 2021 NFL Draft, had to fill in for Purdy, 49ers offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak is convinced the 26-year-old has all the tools to execute the job like any starter in the league.
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 told reporters Thursday at 49ers rookie minicamp.
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."
Jones spent last season as a backup to Jacksonville Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence but struggled when Lawrence was out, registering eight touchdown passes, eight interceptions, and a passer rating of 80.5 in 10 total 2024 appearances.
Nevertheless, it was enough for the 49ers brass to make Jones the backup to Purdy.
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," Kubiak added.
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."
Although everything seems to indicate Purdy will sign a long-term contract extension with San Francisco, Jones' skill set grants them the kind of insurance any team hopes for.