Brock Purdy is inching closer to his big pay raise with each day that passes but the San Francisco 49ers are not willing to just give all of the leverage in these negotiations to the former seventh-round pick.
While all signs still point toward San Francisco working out a long-term deal with Purdy, Niners offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak shared some interesting comments regarding the upside of a different signal caller on the roster, Mac Jones.
Friday, Kubiak singled out Jones and revealed just how much research the franchise had done on the former first-round pick during his collegiate career with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Despite Jones' career record as a starter of 20-29, San Francisco believes that he could be QB1 in the NFL again one day.
Klint Kubiak Thinks Mac Jones Can Start in NFL Again
“Going back to college, we obviously studied Mac coming out and we thought very highly of him and his skillset as a thrower and the things he did in college,” Kubiak said.
Jones' rookie season was his most impressive of his professional career to this point as he led the New England Patriots to a 10-7 record while throwing for over 3,800 yards and 22 touchdowns. Unfortunately for Jones, his numbers have decreased with each passing year, and that has led to twice as many losses as wins.
“And then obviously as a rookie, what he did in the NFL was very impressive. Mac’s a really good thrower. He stands in the pocket, he’s a strong guy and he’s really smart. And so he’s got a lot of traits that we like for a starting quarterback. And his career has kind of gone up and down a little bit the past couple years, but we saw the same things in Jacksonville that we loved about him as a college prospect, and that really excites us. And he’s doing a great job. And I think Mac’s capable of being a starter in this league. And so he’s going to help us if he needs to.”
No Niners fan expects for Jones to come close to unseating Purdy as the team's starter this season. Kubiak can praise the quarterback as much as he wants as well. It isn't going to change the fact that Purdy has, and will continue to be, the man under center in San Francisco for years to come.
The two sides just need to sit down and figure the money out. That will do them more good in the end than what Kubiak attempted to do by playing a leverage card with these comments on Jones.