San Francisco 49ers surprisingly linked to adding AFC QB viewed as too ‘toxic’ for his current team
A top NFL insider believes that if anyone can fix the damaged reputation of Mac Jones, the San Francisco 49ers would be the team to do it with when he is sure to be traded or released by the New England Patriots this offseason.
Mac Jones’ rise to prominence and surprising fall from grace is one of the wildest stories in the NFL over the last few seasons. After being drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft he had a breakout rookie season and earned Pro Bowl honors on a 10-win Patriots team. It seemed like he was set to be the organization’s next franchise QB.
However, after a pair of offensive coordinator changes the next two years Jones fell into a sophomore slump that lasted two seasons and included being benched multiple times. Now, all signs point to the quarterback’s exit from New England being highly likely.
In a Tuesday mailbag column, Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer added more to the situation and why it seems like a guarantee Jones won’t be with the Pats in 2024.
“He was good as a rookie and regressed badly since. He was well-liked early on, but, over time, lost support in the building,” Breer wrote. “And the quarterback room he was in the last two years got toxic, to the point where Bailey Zappe, as a rookie, sometimes watched tape in the receiver room.”
Breer also added that since new head coach Jerod Mayo has deep ties to the previous staff, it would be too big of a risk to hold on to Jones and go through more stumbles next season. Then if he isn’t in New England, where could he be next season? Well, Breer had an interesting idea.
