In a bombshell interview with DNVR Sports, James Palmer of the NFL Network said that multiple NFL Coaches told him that the 49ers would have won multiple Super Bowls had they drafted Mac Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft, a shot indirectly at current quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy, who has led the 49ers to the NFC Championship in 2022 and the Super Bowl this past season, has led the 49ers to an NFL-leading 24-7 record during the span he started.
Despite this, according to the report, many NFL coaches have said anonymously that if Brock Purdy was replaced by Mac Jones, the 49ers, not the Chiefs, would probably hold back-to-back Lombardi trophies. This might be a somewhat accepted argument if we were talking about another quarterback, such as Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, or even Trevor Lawrence, but Mac Jones? That seems a bit startling.
Mac Jones’ Statistics
NFL coaches are smart; if the report is true, there must be a reason behind it. However, looking at Mac Jones’ stats it is still startling. This past season, Jones went 2-9 overall and only led his offense to more than 17 points twice. They scored less than ten points in four games, including three games where the team didn’t even score a touchdown.
Mac Jones played better his first two seasons in 2021 and 2022, but even then, he has never gotten to leading his team anywhere near the Super Bowl. He’s only played in a postseason game, which the team lost, and he threw two interceptions.
Granted, the Patriots do not have an excellent supporting cast around Mac Jones, while Purdy certainly has had all the help he could ask for, including an incredible defense that takes off a lot of pressure. However, for coaches to believe that a 2-9 quarterback would be better than a 14-5 quarterback during the same period still seems crazy.
Brock Purdy Fits the 49ers
Sometimes a QB fit is more than just talent. From a raw talent standpoint, Mac Jones may be a better quarterback than Brock Purdy. Maybe he can throw further, run faster, and be a bit quicker on reads than Purdy, but a pure skillset isn’t everything.
Something must be said about fitting within a scheme and winning over a locker room. Purdy fits the 49ers offense and their scheme perfectly, and there may not be many other quarterbacks who would be able to come in and have the same kind of success that Purdy has had.
Conclusion
It’s impossible to know whether these reports are accurate, but the source has a pretty good reputation (although also a bit extreme). No matter how the stats are looked at, it’s tough to understand how NFL coaches look at Brock Purdy and Mac Jones and believe Jones is the better quarterback. Maybe that’s why they are the head coaches and are paid to evaluate talent from a different perspective.
To check out the entire interview by DNVR Sports, check out the video below.
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