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Mac Jones is headed to San Francisco to work with 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. But before he made his way to the West Coast, he was once in Tuscaloosa, playing for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Jones was a Heisman Trophy runner-up and also considered among the greatest quarterbacks to come out of Alabama. However, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum doesn’t agree. During Tuesday’s episode of the “Andy & Ari On3” podcast, the analyst was asked, “Was Mac Jones that good?” Finebaum replied (Timestamp: 10:30):
“No. But he had the best wide receiver known to man.”
He suggested that Jones’ success at Alabama was mainly because of the talent around him, including DeVonta Smith and Najee Harris, during their 2020 national championship run.
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“Alabama fans love to remember what’s wrong, and he will become the worst quarterback in Alabama history as time marches on,” Finebaum said.
Mac Jones’ successful run at Alabama
Mac Jones became Alabama’s starting quarterback in his fourth year. Although he played as a backup to Tua Tagovailoa, he rose to the occasion when Tagovailoa got hurt in the 2019 season. Jones took the Tide to an undefeated season and a national title in 2020.
In that campaign, Jones set several records. He had the highest passing efficiency rating in college football history (203.1), the highest completion percentage (77.4%) and the highest yards per attempt at 11.2. He also broke Alabama’s record for most passing yards in a single season with 4,514 yards.
He won several awards as well, including the 2020 Davey O’Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Manning Award, and finished second in the Heisman run.
However, despite his great feats in college, his career in the NFL hit a rough patch. Now, after three seasons with the New England Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jones will begin anew with the San Francisco 49ers.
After signing with the team, Jones said, according to NFL.com:
“I feel like there's a lot of good people here, a lot of winners here. So, really just wanted to surround myself with winners.”
Mac Jones sees joining the 49ers, a team that’s been to two Super Bowls under Kyle Shanahan as a chance to learn and grow in a “proven system.”
49ers Fans! Check out the latest San Francisco 49ers Schedule and dive into the 49ers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.
