Mac Jones' path back to relevance could follow a similar journey as another ex-San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback. In a Sports Illustrated piece on the 2027 quarterback carousel, NFL analyst Conor Orr named Jones as a name to watch if the Minnesota Vikings' current situation under center doesn't work out, similar to what Sam Darnold did in 2024 when he joined the Vikings after a year with the 49ers.
At the very least, all teams will have some principles of the offense, and he makes an intriguing case to follow Darnold to Minnesota if [current starter Kyler] Murray becomes too expensive or plays too poorly. [Vikings head coach Kevin] O'Connell invested heavily in a modified outside-zone-style scheme this offseason and Jones may be the perfect
archetype to run it for an extended period of time.
Darnold spent the 2023 season as Brock Purdy's backup in Kyle Shanahan's offense, absorbing the scheme and the coaching before parlaying that experience into a career year with O'Connell's Vikings in 2024, when he threw for over 4,300 yards and made a surprise playoff push. Darnold signed a cheap deal with the Vikings but earned a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks the following year before he won a Super Bowl with them.
Jones has followed a strikingly similar track. After a rocky stretch with the New England Patriots that led him to a brief stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he landed in San Francisco as Purdy's backup and thrived in relief duty in 2025. Jones went 5-3 as a starter while completing a career-high 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. The 49ers rewarded him with a revised 2026 deal, but Jones is set to hit free agency next March and is a prime trade candidate this season.
Orr's larger point is about timing as much as scheme fit. He noted that at 27, Jones would be walking into a Vikings opportunity at the same age Darnold was when his own maturity aligned with a functional, quarterback-friendly system.
Whether that opportunity materializes depends heavily on how Minnesota's current quarterback situation shakes out over the next year. J.J. McCarthy, the team's 2024 first-round pick, lost the starting job to Murray, who is on a one-year deal himself. McCarthy could redeem himself, or Murray could prove to be a long-term answer. But if O'Connell and the Vikings do find themselves back in the market, Jones' recent tape — and his firsthand experience running Shanahan-tree principles — could make him one of the more logical outside options available.
This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: Analyst sees similar path for Mac Jones as another ex-49ers QB
