The 49ers’ season might hinge on ... Mac Jones?

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Four years ago, the 49ers scoured the country for a quarterback of the future. Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch met with the top draft-eligible passers, called college coaches, and spent weeks and months deliberating over a decision that would shape the future of the franchise.

After trading three first-round draft picks to move up to the No. 3 spot in the 2021 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected North Dakota State product Trey Lance.

But in the days leading up to the draft, speculation ran rampant that Shanahan was set to select another QB as the potential face of the franchise: Mac Jones. The Alabama signal-caller didn’t necessarily have exceptional arm strength or speed, but he did have one trait Shanahan seemed to prioritize above all else: With the Crimson Tide, Jones was a winner.

At the time, something felt off about the link between the 49ers and Jones.

Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers’ incumbent starter, shared too many similarities to the consensus All-American. Garoppolo wasn’t blessed with elite physical attributes, but he won a lot of games anyway. If the 49ers were determined to replace a quarterback who had taken them to a Super Bowl just a year earlier, surely they could find someone with the potential to elevate their offense in different ways.

Justin Fields, the Big Ten MVP at Ohio State, possessed elite quickness and dual-threat capabilities Shanahan hadn’t worked with since he coached Robert Griffin III in Washington. Lance, meanwhile, was the draft’s true blank canvas, an inexperienced and raw athlete with the type of arm strength, speed, and leadership abilities representative of a player who might have the highest ceiling of any quarterback on the board.

A year after the draft, Shanahan appeared on the I Am Athlete podcast and acknowledged the decision came down to Lance and Jones.

“There were two that I really wanted...Mac Jones and Trey [Lance],” the 49ers’ coach said.

Lance never came close to reaching his potential with the 49ers. Injuries forced him to the sideline, and Brock Purdy’s sudden emergence in 2022 compelled the team to move forward with a quarterback who clearly offered the team the best chance to win.

But with Purdy sidelined due to a ligament injury in his toe, Shanahan’s longstanding belief that Jones can be a successful NFL quarterback will be put to the test in the 49ers’ offense. Jones, who was taken 15th overall in 2021 by the New England Patriots, won 10 games and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, but his career has gone downhill ever since.

Jones has won just four of his last 14 NFL starts, including two last season as a fill-in for Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville. He signed a two-year deal with the 49ers this offseason, but their preference was for him to spend the vast majority of the year holding a clipboard.

Now, Jones is in the spotlight, and the 49ers’ season might depend on how he performs. 

A soft portion of the schedule has a much sharper edge when Jones is under center, George Kittle is on injured reserve, and Brandon Aiyuk is still on the PUP list. Shanahan cited injuries as a major reason why the team’s performance declined so much last season, but after upgrading the backup quarterback position, he needs Jones to deliver against New Orleans and then potentially against Arizona and Jacksonville. 

Four years ago, Jones wasn’t the right fit. Lance wasn’t either, but the 49ers ended up with a franchise quarterback in Purdy anyway.

When the 49ers needed a quarterback who could change the trajectory of the franchise, they passed on Jones. Now, they need one who can keep the season on the rails. In steps Mac Jones.