It took nearly five years, but we finally got the answer to the question that was never fully answered after the 2021 NFL Draft.
Kyle Shanahan wanted Mac Jones in San Francisco.
The veteran confirmed Shanahan’s wishes to draft the Alabama product during an appearance on the “Monday Mornings with Mitch” podcast.
“Me and Kyle, we just have a great relationship and he wanted me to be here with him when I was coming off the race,” Jones said. “Obviously it went in different ways, but that’s what it’s all about – reconnecting with people who either see value in you or whatnot.”
Shanahan finally got his wish in 2025 when the 49ers signed Jones to a two-year, $7 million contract to serve as Brock Purdy’s backup. But those who followed the 2021 draft — the same class that included Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and the 49ers’ eventual pick, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, in the first three picks — will remember Shanahan choosing Jones over Lance.
In the end, we know those rumblings were accurate.
From San Francisco’s perspective, the results were serendipitous: Jones proved to be very useful in 2025, filling in for the injured Purdy and keeping the 49ers in the playoffs by performing remarkably well in his eight starts, winning five of them and enjoying enough success to make him a valuable 2026 trade target.
“Just hearing the stories about Kyle and how he sees the run game and the pass game and runs the team meetings, and it was just interesting. And I finally got to see it this year, and it was just great,” Jones said.