The San Francisco 49ers have more experience than they’d like when it comes to valuing backup quarterbacks. They made it clear that they weren’t bluffing when it came to wanting premium draft capital in return for Mac Jones.
Mac Jones showed that he could operate almost as well as the starter in Kyle Shanahan’s offense last season. Jones won five games as a starter. The three losses he had came in games when Fred Warner was sidelined with an injury. In that game, he threw for 347 yards. The other
game was against the Texans’ defense, which didn’t allow any offense to accomplish anything. The final loss was a rematch against a Rams team that was out for revenge. Jones got the first laugh against the Rams. In the second game, he only had six incompletions after throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns.
The 49ers do not make the postseason in 2025 without Jones. There’s a reason they had an astronomical asking price for their backup. That’s also likely why the trade market for Mac never heated up.
On Tuesday morning, Tom Pelissero reported that the 49ers and Mac Jones agreed to a revised contract for the 2026 season. Jones received a $300,000 roster bonus. He will now make $3.55 million, with the potential to add $2.25 million available in incentives.
Per Spotrac, the contract notes for Jones say he was previously set to earn $550,000 if he played 50 percent of the regular-season snaps and the 49ers made the playoffs. Alternatively, he’d earn $100,000 if he played 25% of the snaps plus each regular-season win, with a required minimum of four wins to vest.
It’s fair to assume the new incentives are similarly structured to playing time, winning, and a postseason berth.
