Michael McCorkle "Mac" Jones, born on September 5, 1998, is an American professional football quarterback currently playing for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). His journey to the NFL was marked by significant achievements in college and a promising start in the pros.
Let's delve into the biography of Mac Jones, tracing his path from high school to his professional career.
Five-Star: Jaguars QB Mac Jones
Early Years and High School Football
Jones played high school football at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, under head coach Corky Rogers. As a junior in 2015, Jones led Bolles to the state regional final.
Collegiate Career at Alabama Crimson Tide
Jones played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, setting the NCAA season records for passer rating and completion percentage as a junior en route to winning the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship. Jones also received Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, Davey O'Brien, and Manning awards.
In the 2018 season, Jones appeared in 14 of the Crimson Tide's 15 games, mostly as a holder on special teams. Jones served as the starting quarterback near the end of the 2019 season after Tua Tagovailoa suffered a severe hip injury. He made four starts for the Crimson Tide, beating Arkansas and Western Carolina before falling to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. With Tagovailoa departing for the 2020 NFL draft, Jones took over as the starting quarterback for Alabama.
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In a game against the #3 ranked Georgia Bulldogs, he threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns, helping Alabama win 41-24. On October 31, Jones and the Crimson Tide shut out Mississippi State 41-0. Jones threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns, all of which went to DeVonta Smith. In the Iron Bowl against Auburn, Jones threw for 302 yards and five touchdowns. The following week, Jones threw for 385 yards and four touchdowns against LSU. With the win, the Crimson Tide clinched a berth in the 2020 SEC Championship Game against Florida.
NFL Draft and Early Career
One of the top quarterback prospects of the 2021 NFL draft, Jones was projected to be taken in the first round. Although many analysts predicted he would be selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers, Jones was selected 15th overall by the New England Patriots after the 49ers drafted North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance. He was the last of five quarterbacks and the fourth of six Alabama players taken in the first round.
New England Patriots (2021-2023)
Following the preseason, Jones was named the Patriots' starter for 2021. In his NFL debut, Jones completed 29 of 39 passes for 281 yards and made his first touchdown pass to wide receiver Nelson Agholor in a 17-16 loss against the Miami Dolphins. He also set the NFL completion percentage record for a debuting rookie at 74.4. His first win came the following week over the New York Jets and he became the first rookie quarterback to convert over 70% of 60 passes in his first two starts by obtaining a 73.3 completion rate.
Jones struggled during a Week 3 loss to the New Orleans Saints, in which he had three interceptions, including his career first to safety P. J. Williams. The following week, Jones made his Sunday Night Football debut against defending Super Bowl LV champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers led by Super Bowl LV MVP and former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The Week 7 victory began a seven-game winning streak for the Patriots, with Jones completing 69.4% of his passes for 1,397 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions. Jones also became the first NFL rookie quarterback to have a completion percentage of 80+ in consecutive games, which he obtained in victories over the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons. Amid the streak, he was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for November.
In the seventh consecutive victory, he attempted only three passes against the Buffalo Bills due to heavy wind conditions, the second-fewest by a winning team since the Bills in 1974. New England's winning streak ended with consecutive losses against the Indianapolis Colts and Bills, which saw Jones record two interceptions in each game. After a Week 17 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones became the first Patriots quarterback other than Brady to clinch a postseason berth since 1998.
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Jones returned for the Week 7 Monday Night Football matchup with the Chicago Bears, but after going three-and-out on his first two drives and throwing an interception on his third, he was benched for Zappe in the 33-14 defeat. Despite the benching, Jones started the following week's game against the Jets, completing 24 of 35 passes for 194 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the 22-17 victory. He also had an interception returned for a touchdown by cornerback Michael Carter II, but a roughing the passer penalty on defensive end John Franklin-Myers negated the play. In a Week 9 victory over the Colts, he completed 20 of 30 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, ending a seven-game interception streak. Jones had his strongest performance of the season in the Thanksgiving Day game against the Minnesota Vikings, throwing for a career-high 382 yards and two touchdowns, but the Patriots lost 33-26. The Patriots would win only two more games to finish the season 8-9, with Jones throwing for 1,229 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions in his last six appearances.
In Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys, Jones was replaced by Zappe after posting a 39.9 rating with three turnovers in a 3-38 blowout loss. In Week 5 against the Saints, Jones completed 12 of 22 passes for 110 yards and two interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown, and lost a fumble. The Patriots snapped a three-game losing streak after Jones completed 25 of 30 pass attempts for 272 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-25 comeback victory against the Bills. In a Week 8 rematch against the Dolphins, Jones completed 19-of-29 passes for two touchdowns and one interception in a 17-31 loss. In Week 9, Jones went 24-of-44 passes for 220 yards, a touchdown, and a late game-losing interception in a 17-20 defeat against the Washington Commanders. The following week against the Colts in Frankfurt, Jones was sacked 5 times in the first half, and threw 15-of-20 passes for 170 yards and an interception. Due to his performance, he was replaced by Zappe for the third time that season in the final drive as New England lost 6-10. In Week 12, playing his final game as a Patriot against the New York Giants, Jones completed 12 of 21 passes for 89 yards and two interceptions before being replaced again by Zappe at halftime in the 7-10 loss.
Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers
On March 14, 2024, Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick (No. On September 12, after first-string quarterback Brock Purdy was ruled out with left shoulder and toe injuries, Jones was named the starter against the New Orleans Saints.
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