Mac Jones finally joins 49ers, 4 years after they nearly drafted him

nfl Sports

March 13, 2025The Daily US News0

“There were two that I really wanted,” Shanahan said on the “I Am Athlete” podcast in 2022. “Mac Jones and Trey. Those were the two guys that we were locked in on from the beginning.”

Shanahan ultimately went with Lance based on his potential; he was only 20 years old when he was drafted. The move backfired as Lance struggled to stay healthy and adjust to Shanahan’s system. He made only four starts in two seasons before being traded to Dallas for a fourth-round pick in August 2023, having lost the starting job to 2022 seventh-round pick Brock Purdy.

Purdy has firmly established himself as the full-time starter in San Francisco and now Jones gets the chance to come in as a backup.