Le Journal

The San Francisco 49ers had quite the season this year, winning 13 games despite a slew of injuries, including a road playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles before bowing out. A big part of that success was backup quarterback Mac Jones, who weathered the storm when starter Brock Purdy was out, going 5-3 in eight starts with some impressive play off the bench. In that stretch, Jones threw for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions, while executing the level at a high offense. Naturally, Jones’s play sparked potential offseason trade talk, given the number of teams that are in need of a quarterback this offseason. And since he’s on a very team-friendly deal ($2.81 million salary in 2026), he could be a valuable asset on the open market. Speaking to reporters after the season ended, Jones expressed gratitude to the 49ers for the opportunity, noting how ‘awesome’ the year was for him. But he also acknowledged his belief that he’s a starter in this league when referencing the last year of his contract. Should the 49ers keep him, they could retain a compensatory pick after next season if Jones gets a strong salary on the open market. So there certainly is a benefit to keeping the backup quarterback, even with his potential trade value, on top of his on-field play. But what will the 49ers ultimately do with Jones this offseason? Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, head coach Kyle Shanahan shared that he’s spoken with Jones and doesn’t believe he’ll be anywhere else in 2026. “[I had] awesome conversations with him, just like I did with a number of players,” Shanahan said of Jones. “As any player on our team, including myself and John [Lynch], you always listen to people and trade offers, but we’re also not into getting rid of good players. So, I’d be very surprised if Mac wasn’t around us next year.” Lynch noted that Jones’s attitude was also a big factor for the team, helping lift up the spirits with his personality and his play during that early-season stretch. “Mac made this place better. He was outstanding this season,” Lynch added. “He picked us up in a huge way and it was it was a really fun process to watch him come in and the joy that he was playing with. He’s got an infectious attitude that affects everybody on our team. It affected that quarterback room. You talk to Brock [Purdy], Brock will tell how he made him a better player. “Biggest thing he did is when we needed him which came early in the season, he went in there and won us a lot of football games and he kept us in this thing. So, I can’t say enough about Mac, not only his play, his leadership. I call it leadership. Do you make people around you better? And I think Mac did that all season. And so, he’s been an outstanding addition. Like Kyle said, you always listen, but I know we’re a better football team with Mac Jones on our roster.” The 49ers have to listen to offers, which both Shanahan and Lynch said is always a part of the process. But the price tag has to be quite high, given what San Francisco can likely get with the compensatory formula next offseason. Probably a second or even a first-round pick, if the 49ers can somehow find a way to fetch that (seems highly unlikely). This team has also been haunted by backup quarterback issues in the past, which has probably factored into their thinking with Jones as well. At his cost, he’s probably one of the most valuable contracts in the NFL. The offseason has just begun and there’s still a long time to go. But those are some pretty definitive words regarding Jones from both Lynch and Shanahan.

The Seattle Seahawks made the San Francisco 49ers look slow on both sides of the ball. The defense struggled to catch up to Kenneth Walker and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while the pass catchers couldn’t run away from Seattle’s secondary. Outside of a couple of routes, that was true in the Wild Card round against the Philadelphia Eagles, too. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked on Wednesday if he felt improving team speed is a priority this offseason, and whether Shanahan feels like it’s something the team needs more of moving forward: “Yes, definitely. I mean, being fast helps, being good helps. There’s lots of ways to do it, but you’d love it balanced out perfectly with your whole team offensively, defensively, special teams. But, we noticeably were slower this year than we have been in year’s past. Sometimes that’s substituted for a better football player. That doesn’t mean you’re always worse because of that. But, you definitely need more speed out there to handle things week-in and week-out for some of the situations that come up versus certain schemes and certain defenses, certain offenses too.” Earlier in the week, we felt like one of the 49ers’ fatal flaws was the lack of team speed. That answer suggests Shanahan agrees. Demarcus Robinson ran a 4.59 40-yard dash ten years ago at the NFL Combine. Kendrick Bourne ran a 4.68 40. Jauan Jennings, a 4.72. These are players who played significant roles for the 49ers this past season at wide receiver. That’s where inserting a player like rookie Jordan Watkins or whether the myth of Jacob Cowing will make a difference. Ricky Pearsall proved he can win down the field, but when you can’t balance the field with multiple threats, your offense becomes easier to defend. The 49ers were excellent at limiting explosive plays defensively, but that was centered on playing top-down coverage more than on their cornerbacks being shut down. Deommodore Lenoir’s 40-time was in the 64th percentile, but his 20-yard shuttle was in the 13th percentile, with a 29th percentile vertical jump and 30th percentile 3-cone. Those numbers do not scream high-end athlete. Renardo Green’s jumps were above average, but his 40 was in the 46th percentile. Ji’Ayir Brown’s 40 was in the 18th percentile. An infusion of athleticism at wide receiver and defensive back will go a long way in the 49ers’ upgrading their team speed this offseason.