Mac Jones ‘not mad' 49ers didn't trade him this offseason after strong 2025

49ers quarterback Mac Jones speaks to reporters after San Francisco's practice on Wednesday in Santa Clara.

Mac Jones 'not mad' 49ers didn't trade him this offseason after strong 2025 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

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Zach, what are you going through right now physically?

just a little soreness in my shoulder.

everything's clean and looks good, so just kind of being precaution, precautionary, I guess is the word.

but yeah, I'll be ready for, for training camp.

There, you know, at the end of last season and, and up to this point, had you given much thought or did you think that there was a possibility that you could be traded to a team that wanted to make you their starter?

Yeah, there was definitely obviously a lot of speculation and honestly, after a long year, I was just trying to enjoy with my teammates and, look back on the season.

But yeah, I think there was some stuff out there and it was made very clear to me that I was gonna be here, from this organization.

So I'm fired up about it and I kinda knew that was the situation early off-season and, everything else is kind of between my agent and the coaches and whatever.

But obviously you wanna have a chance to start, but I also love it here and I'm not really in the business of leaving good people, so I'm not mad about it at all.

I think it's a great organization and did a lot of fun stuff last year, but it's a new year and I feel like this is the first year I've had when I've had the same offensive playbook being in the NFL, so that's kind of nice.

You know, if you go to a new team, you gotta learn a new playbook again and kind of do everything over, so it's good.

I'm excited and really just looking forward to the summer and getting everything going again.

I think you used the term last year a couple times, gotta get the train back on the tracks.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

How do you keep the, how do you, how do you keep the train on the tracks?

Like, what, what do you do- That's a good question what do you go?

I'm not a, an engineer of train tracks, but yeah, it's a good question.

I thought about that and I think one thing that I focused on last year is my mindset.

I do put a lot of work into it and at the end of the day, if you go out there on Sunday and you're not confident, it doesn't matter, I guess.

So I know that if I go out there on Sunday and have the right mindset and have that warrior mentality, that I can do, play some really good football and I proved that last year, but the challenge is to do it again this year and, really not compare the two.

Like, every season's different and I've learned that probably better than anybody.

Had some ups and downs and started hot in the league and then got challenged, you know, years two, three and four or whatever and, now I feel like it's time to stack some good years here.

So I'm looking at it as a positive, as, you know, building on it, I guess is the right word.

but yeah, I think some people, you don't wanna put too much pressure on yourself.

Like, "Oh, I gotta do what I did last year."

you also don't wanna be satisfied with what you did, so I think I'm in the right mindset and I know the coaches and, and everybody feel the same way, like we have a good football team and we're gonna be healthy this year and, have a chance to do some good stuff.

You had a- Put the ball in the back last year.

how important was that for you just to establish that or reestablish yourself, like, in that way?

Yeah, for sure it was good.

I think, it was important for me just to have fun and get, get around this group of guys and have the-- continue to be with these guys 'cause it's a good group in the locker room and got a lot of older guys, but now we have some younger guys too, and I feel like I'm kind of in the middle.

Hopefully I'm not old yet, but I'm twenty-seven still, so anyways.

But yeah, I feel like last year was good for me and I'm just getting everything going in the right direction.

But like I said, this year is a new year and that's the NFL.

You can't really look back or look forward.

You kind of just gotta be where your feet are and I know that I can play in the system and I know that I can play even better in the system and I got good support from Coach Kyle and Clay and, and everybody, so, I feel good about it.

Apologies for talking about your money here, but I mean, based on the way you played, you're probably underpaid, um- Thank you.

for quality backup quarterback at this point.

w- was the three hundred thousand dollars like a, an acknowledgement of a, a thank you gift or like, you know, like, "Hey, you probably should be paid a little more"?

Or how-- what was that about?

Yeah, to be honest, I'm not really gonna go into it 'cause it was kind of supposed to be a quieter thing and it was something to do with last year, but I'm really grateful for it and I love the, the Yorks and everybody and, it was good to, you know, have that gesture sent my way and for me, I wanna build on it and have another good year and it's never been really about the money for me, to be honest.

I'm just glad that I'm having fun again.

That's priceless to me.

And obviously winning, you know, last year we didn't finish where we wanted to finish, but just getting back to winning football games, like, there's a dollar sign in my mind that that's very important.

So that's what I care about.

everything else will come and that's part of God's plan, not my plan.

You could-- Last year you had good receivers, but they were different receivers.

This year you got, seems like a lot more speed at wide receiver.

Yeah.

what's it like?

How does that change your job and Brock's job when you have so much more speed and you can maybe challenge and, down the field a bit more?

Yeah, that's a, that's a good point.

yeah, I've been fortunate to play with some fast guys in the past, but the guys we brought in and everyone's a little different.

You know, Mike Evans is tall and has a really long stride and is a vertical threat throughout his career.

It's just crazy that we're on the same team now.

I used to play with him in Madden, but he's still killing it and, like, he looks great in OTAs.

Christian Kirk I play with in Jacksonville is quick, has good, downfield stuff and Shribling and Ricky, the list goes on.

We got some, some good young guys.

Cowan looks good too, so I've been really pleased just watching it.

It's been kind of interesting just to watch practice a little bit and see different guys move.

But yeah, I think pushing the ball down the field's important, kind of eliminating some of those longer drives where you can have some explosives and let those guys get behind the defense and there's a lot that goes into that, scheme, protection, all that stuff.

But I feel like we got the guys to do it and we're definitely gonna do that this year.

A lot of argue in what was the reaction when quarterbacks when you find out Myles Garrett's gonna be on the other side a couple times a year.

Yeah.

I think I was in the hallway, but as someone showed it to me, I was like, "Oh, it's AI, whatever."

But then they were like, "I saw the blue check," and I was like, "No, click on his profile.

I want to see it."

I forgot who it was.

It was a defense player, but it was Malik.

Yeah, Malik came up to me.

I was like, "Shoot, that's, that's crazy," but you know, Myles is a great player.

I've played against him a few times and very talented.

That, that roster that they've built there is incredible and we got a really good division, so gotta focus on us, but doesn't make it easier for sure.

A lot of guys- New group of wide receivers is going to be able to change what you can do up the field.Hopefully a lot.

I'm not a fortune teller, but I do think these guys have really good talent.

I think there's a different group of people than we had last year, personalities, and, you know, we got some older vets that have played a lot and some young guys.

So, you're gonna get, you know, a really good group, a, a good mix, I guess.

And I'm not a coach, but if I was a coach I'd want that, kind of that elevator of young guys, old guys, quick guys, fast guys, tall guys, short guys.

So you got a little bit of everything.

and I'm excited to work in training camp with them, and we got some great work in pre-OTAs too.

Curious to see, you came in that season where the, the locker room was about, like, yous and helping to pull the youth along and get them adjusted, whereas now- Yeah it's, like, a lot of veterans back in their building.

You got Dre Greenlaw and Mike Evans and so many others.

Yeah.

Does it feel different in the locker room given how much veteran experience has now been infused into the team?

For sure.

Yeah.

That's a great question.

And, like last year I feel like we had a lot of young guys play, and that'll help this year because you have rookies that are second-year guys, and they've learned from some great players last year.

and then now whether they're starting or backup, that means you have more depth, 'cause your young guys that played last year might not be playing as much or whatever the situation is.

'Cause we have some guys coming back from injury or guys in free agency like Dre.

but anyways, we have a deep roster I feel like, and that's gonna help.

Obviously, as we've seen, like any NFL team, you're gonna go through some stuff, and you wanna have guys that have played football and learn from some good people too.

So I'm excited.

had some good conversation with the rookies.

Like, they ask a lot of good questions, and makes me feel old, but I mean, it's my, my sixth year, so anytime they ask me, I wanna tell 'em, you know, what, what was it like for me as a rookie and what did I struggle with and what did I do good from year one to year two for those guys that you're talking about, like Stout or whoever who played a lot.

It's like, what do you have to do to year two to not to have that fall off and, and all that stuff.

So it's been good.

Matt, when-- Last year when, when you got in, say, week two, was it-- was the playbook for you, like What am I trying to say?

Was it more-- Like, if you get in week two this year, do you have much more of the playbook at your disposal just because you know more of this offense?

Or kind of week two last year, did you kind of added-- absorb much of this?

Yeah.

I don't know.

I think it was pretty detailed.

Like our-- I always look back at our call sheets in the off-season and kinda watch games.

Like, I watched the Saints game, and we were running all the same plays that we run now and ran throughout the year.

But yeah, I think obviously when it's your first start in a new offense, like, Kyle's not gonna go out there and put me in physics right away, you know?

But I feel like each game we progressed.

And when I first got here, that was the challenge, was, like, learning the plays, and they're 20 words long and But it also made me, like, understand everything, and that helped me in the season because we install a lot of plays each week, and I felt really prepared.

So I didn't really think about it like that, but definitely going through the off-season, like, the calls just come in easier and quicker and, my job is to, like I said, focus on the mindset for me, like going out there on Sundays.

And I prepare a lot, and I showed last year that I can carry that into a game.

so just focus on the mindset of, like, "Yeah, that's what I do.

On Sunday I'll be ready to play," or whenever we play.

Go ahead.

Early this off-season, were you-- was it clear that you'd be coming back or were you made- pretty early.

Yeah.

Yeah, I felt, really good about it.

I mean, like I said, I kinda stayed out of everything, but as you guys know, there was stuff out there and, like I said, it's good to be talked about or whatever, but when you're coming back to be a backup, I'm also cool with that too, because I learned so much and like I said, I'm not in the business of leaving good people, so I feel like I can stack another good year.

Whenever I'm needed, that's my job, is to support Brock.

It's his team, and he played very well towards the end of the year, and I feel like it was just a lot of fun.

So we wanna continue that, the good vibes in there and, I'm looking forward to trying not to focus on the future, just focus on now.

And like I said, this summer for me is gonna be critical, just getting healthy and, really just taking my body to another level.

So I'm excited for the challenge and, apply it during the preseason.

Last one, right?

Fresh playing, what-- You obviously started for, for about half the season, then when you went back to the bench, did that experience having played in the system help you assist Brock in, in a different way- Yeah in a better way?

Yeah, I think that's, that's a good question.

I think every year is different.

I, I played the beginning eight, like last year or whatever, and then the year before that I played the last eight in Jacksonville.

So it's kinda interesting, like you're learning different ways and, with Brock this year, obviously he's played in the system, so I'm not gonna tell him anything he doesn't already know.

But a lot of it as a backup quarterback is just validation.

Like, "Hey, on that, you know, route right there, was he open or not?"

And you just have to see the play with a clear eye and be like, "Nah, dude, you're good.

It wasn't open."

Or I think that's what Brock wants.

And trust me, I've been in Brock's shoes.

I don't want someone, like, talking to me after every play like, "Dude, you missed this."

Like, that's not really my job.

So Brock knows that and he's-- but he wants the information.

That's what I love about him.

So when I got to play, I kinda took information from, from everybody, coaches, players too, just 'cause that's how you learn quickly on the field.

Like what did, what did I see versus what did they see?

So You did eighty-five percent.

Last one, Tim.

Sorry.

Yeah.

Sorry.

Well, obviously, if you'd signed a one-year contract last March, you would've been a free agent.

Maybe you would've come back, I don't know.

But- Yeah.

We saw Darnold do the one- We saw Darnold do the one-year thing- Yeah and turned out pretty well for him.

Yeah.

Did the 49ers insist on a two-year deal, with last year that-- and tell you this could be the situation where even if you play great, they're just gonna keep you?

Yeah, I think, yeah, it's hard because what if it went the other way?

What if I was on a one-year deal and played like crap, and then I'm on the street?

So I, I'll take any years you can get in the league.

Just being on a team is a blessing for me and, obviously I have a higher ceiling than just that, but that's the basis.

Like, you wanna make sure you're good to go.

So I'm not stressing about it.

I think it's all good.

I think people are seeing what type of teammate I can be and to do something again twice is sometimes good.

Like I said, I haven't-- honestly, since college, I haven't had the same coordinator since twenty nineteen in back to back years, so this will be the first time.

This'll be interesting to see if I can stack a good year and, yeah, the one year versus two year thing is definitely a legit question, but it'll all work out how it's supposed to.

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