Sportsnaut
The San Francisco 49ers didn’t think they’d be calling upon backup quarterback Mac Jones to make his first start for the team in Week 2 already. Yet, after Brock Purdy suffered hamstring and shoulder injuries, the 49ers did what they had to do, call upon the next man up.
Purdy may not be able to return to health in time for San Francisco’s Week 3 matchup, but his replacement did get his first win as the 49ers’ quarterback on Sunday. Lost in that madness was a little comment Jones made about his current head coach Kyle Shanahan.
The discussion occurred because Jones walked reporters through his touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey, in which the QB says his head coach perfectly telegraphed earlier in the week. As soon as Jones recognized the specific look coach Shanahan told him about, the 49ers’ quarterback quickly fired the ball into McCaffrey’s hands. Afterward, Jones reveled in the fact that Shanahan essentially told him exactly what would happen, showing just how important his weekly preparation is.
“It’s cool to experience that with a coach for the first time in my career,” said Jones.
For the first time in his career? That sounds like his previous head coaches and offensive coordinators didn’t set Jones up to succeed. Or maybe it just means coach Shanahan is a cut above the rest.
Considering that Shanahan’s offensive scheme is still widely-regarded as one of the NFL’s best, perhaps this case is a bit of both Jones praising his coach’s wit while possibly also unknowingly throwing shade at his previous instructors. Either way, it’s clear that Jones is right where he wants to be after inking a two-year contract with the 49ers in free agency this past offseason.
For now, he’s helped lead the 49ers to a 2-0 record, and Jones made sure the offense didn’t skip a beat. Next up is a test against another undefeated team, the 2-0 Arizona Cardinals in Week 3. Now knowing what they have in each other, expect Shanahan and Jones to be more than prepared for any situation they face.
Related: 5 Cincinnati Bengals QB Replacements After Joe Burrow’s Injury
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