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Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young believes Mac Jones is in the perfect situation to thrive and potentially rejuvenate his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers.
Jones, who signed with the team in March to serve as Brock Purdy’s backup, made his first start in red and gold on Sunday. It came four years after many believed the 49ers might select him in the NFL Draft. Against the New Orleans Saints, Jones delivered a solid performance, completing 66.7 percent of his 39 pass attempts for 279 yards and three touchdowns, finishing with a 113.1 passer rating.
Speaking with Bay Area radio station KNBR on Wednesday, Young praised the opportunity Jones has under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
“Tactically, situationally, you can go after Kyle a little bit,” Young said, “but he’s the best at getting people prepared to play quarterback, to make it as easy as possible and see you thrive. You’re never gonna be a better quarterback anywhere in the league than you are when you’re in San Francisco.”
Unless something unexpected happens, such as a trade, Jones will have two years to absorb Shanahan’s system and learn from Purdy. Young believes that experience could revitalize the career of the former first-round pick.
“He’s a good player,” Young said. “And now, he gets a chance.”
Young also emphasized that few NFL coaching staffs can match Shanahan’s, particularly when it comes to developing quarterbacks in a system known for being quarterback-friendly.
“You think of the NFL, ‘Oh, no, there’s great coaching everywhere. There’s great offensive coordinators. There’s great play callers everywhere,'” Young said. “It’s like, ‘No.’ There used to be three or four, now there’s probably ten.
“And so, Mac gets the benefit of being here and seeing how good he can get, because that’s the promise. If you can come here, we’ll see how good you are, and he’s willing to take that chance, so it’s good for him.”
