SAN FRANCISCO — Mac Jones, a backup quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, discussed his career path and current role in a July 2026 podcast interview. Jones is in the final year of his contract with the 49ers, where Brock Purdy serves as the starting quarterback.

Jones started five games and secured three wins for the 49ers during the previous season. He reflected on the 2021 NFL Draft, where the New England Patriots selected him 15th overall. "I remember like all the hype leading up to it, but yeah, I think everything happens for a reason," Jones said. He added that he believed there was a 50/50 chance he could have been drafted by the 49ers when they traded up, noting he did not believe he was worth three first-round picks but would have been open to it.

Jones was traded from the Patriots to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick in March 2024. Prior to that, he played against Tom Brady in a Week 4 game at Gillette Stadium on October 3, 2021, which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won 19-17. In that game, Jones completed 31 of 40 passes for 275 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, while Brady completed 22 of 43 passes for 269 yards. Jones described the atmosphere as "lit" and "awesome," stating: "That was lit. That was awesome because they were calling it the game of the century. I just feel like the lead up was really cool. It was a night game, it was sold out, tickets were going for like 4 or 5 thousand dollars or whatever and then everyone is hyping it in the media." He also said he aimed to avoid social media during the season and felt he had nothing to lose.

After the 2021 season, the Patriots lost to the Buffalo Bills 47-17 in the Wild Card round. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels left to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. The Patriots had finished sixth in the league in scoring during 2021. In 2022, Matt Patricia and Joe Judge split play-calling duties, and the team changed its entire offense one week before the season began. Jones stated that he felt a disconnect during Organized Team Activities that year and mentioned that when head coach Bill Belichick took over the offense, the team "didn't know where we were going." The Patriots concluded the 2022 season with an 8-9 record and finished second-to-last in the league in scoring in 2023. Bailey Zappe replaced Jones as the starting quarterback for the Patriots in December 2023. Jones reflected on his departure from New England, saying, "Going back home was cool. It was good. I felt like that era was over. It was time for me to try something new."

Jones described his current situation with the 49ers positively: "I'm friends with everybody in the whole [49ers] organization. People hang out outside of football. It's just totally different." He added that the organization is like a family, contributing to team bonding. Jones concluded by saying he would not take his time with the 49ers for granted, regardless of how long he remains there.