QB Mac Jones Press Conference

QB Mac Jones

Press Conference – November 6, 2025

San Francisco 49ers

Having been around RB Christian McCaffrey for a little while now, what is it about his receiving skills – how is he so talented at that? What makes him so good?

“I think he’s been like that his whole life, honestly. He’s just super talented and I’ve obviously seen it from afar, but to be on the practice field with him in OTAs and training camp, I really got to experience it. He’s just explosive and he trains all those movements is what I’ve noticed. He puts a lot of practice into it. So, he obviously gets open and catches the ball, which are the two vital parts of being a good receiver.”

How much of an added element is that for an offense and for you, especially as a quarterback, when it’s like every scenario, I know I’ve got Christian?

“Yeah, I think that’s a big part in NFL football, especially nowadays, they’re trying to eliminate explosive plays. So just having a guy like that where you can pop him the ball and he’s going to get some yards for you is definitely important. And that’s everybody. That’s all the backs. [RB Brian Robinson Jr.] B-Rob does a great job of that. He’s done that since college, and then obviously the young guys too. So, we’ve got a good group of backs and really love playing with them.”

Is there more of an emphasis in the NFL now, speaking generally, do you think this year, especially on top-down not going to let them beat us with big plays more so than you’ve seen before?

“Yeah, I’d say a little bit of that. And it changes every year. A lot of teams are different, but you can either blitz a lot and give up those plays but expect to get to the quarterback or you can play soft defense and really that bend-don’t-break mentality. So, I’ve seen both and it’s definitely a trend thing. So, it kind of just goes back and forth.”

Your teammates talk about, whether it’s a bloody nose or throwing up on the sidelines and eating bananas or whatever, they talk about how tough you are and what a good teammate you are. What does that mean to you to have the respect of all those guys?

“Yeah, it means a lot. That’s a big reason why I play, to be honest is to get the respect of people that I trust and people that I would take an opinion from. So, I try to show that every day. I have to continue to do that. It’s not a one game thing, so I want to show it for the whole season. And that’s my goal.”

There was a play out there where Christian was running the ball and you just went in and pushed him through to make sure he got that first down. In your mind, what made you want to do that?

“[Head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] always yells at me on the headset whenever I do that, but (laughs) it’s just kind of how my competitiveness is. If it’s close, I’ve seen it so many times where there’s like a pile of people and then it kind of goes the other way and then the refs like spot it like five yards back. I did one my rookie year where I pushed the pile in and that’s where I got it from. We scored on it and I was like, ‘alright, well I might as well help.’ It’s another 225 pounds sometimes more depending on my diet, but (laughs), if I can get that momentum behind it and the offensive line’s doing it, so I’m like, might as well jump in there and try. So, I definitely have to be safe about it, but it’s just competitiveness.”

Can you repeat what Kyle says exactly?

“(Laughs) I wish. It’s a lot of gibberish. I can’t really hear it all.”

When does he come on after the previous play? When does the radio allow him to start talking to you?

“Pretty soon after they spot the ball or whatever. I don’t know, he does a good job communicating. And obviously you get up until 15 seconds, so that’s always part of it. There’s emotions in the game and you are getting the play call, but then you’re also getting information if he has something for you. So that’s always helpful.”

Is it all code? Like it would sound to us like an air traffic control or is there ever any “nice play” or anything like that because there’s not time, right?

“Yeah, for sure. I think it’s very like business casual, but it’s very like, ‘alright, that was good, next play.’ Or ‘that was really bad, next play.’ So, I always talk about that and Kyle does a great job just keeping me on track and really as a quarterback, you just have to play each play as a life of its own and go at one play at a time. So that’s what I try to do and just hear the call, paint the picture of the call in my helmet and then make sure everybody’s lined up and let it rip.”

Your offensive linemen have talked about how when you’re down and you maybe look injured, that they were scared at first, but now you just seem to pop up. Is it kind of for dramatic purposes?

“Nice. Okay. Yeah, dramatic. I like it. Yeah, I haven’t really done that much in the past to be honest, but this year just dealing with some stuff, so just trying to get up quick is always my goal, but they’re really tough guys. So I think they don’t stay down long, so maybe I should be more like them.”

A lot of times, a rookie, especially a rookie receiver will be injured for a while and then be behind the eight ball and not be able to kind of get going. WR Jordan Watkins has made catches in the last two games. Where is he and where are you two as far as chemistry and connection and all that stuff?

“Yeah, he’s been awesome. He’s a really fast guy. Definitely has vertical speed and really good in and out of breaks, so I trust him a lot. I think he’s just, like you said, it’s not his fault that certain things happened. I know he has a positive attitude and comes to work every day and he’s in shape and runs and gets open and catches the ball, kind of like we talked about with Christian. So that’s what you want. And a lot of our guys are doing that and the challenge is just doing it every day consistently. So, I’ve been really happy that he is getting in there and just getting his feet wet. I know he’s really just trying to get better each day.”

Along the lines of the offensive linemen and what they say about you, T Trent Williams says you don’t act like a quarterback. What does that mean exactly?

“I don’t know. (Laughs) Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

In terms of toughness.

“Oh, okay. Yeah, I mean, Trent’s one of the toughest to play. He doesn’t miss a lot of games and he’s played forever and is going to be a Hall of Famer. So just being in the huddle with him has been awesome. And like I said, I just want those guys to have respect for me and I have respect for them and we’re going to go out there and go to battle.”

How challenging is it for you to go from OL Jake Brendel to OL Matt Hennessy and potentially back to Jake this week?

“Yeah, definitely it can be a challenge, just rotating different guys, but I feel like both of them just do a great job playing their role and very consistent snapping the football. So, I trust both of them, gotten reps with both of them. Obviously, Jake during the season and then we’re working through with Matt. He got a few starts here, which is awesome for him and played really well. So really just like both of those guys. They do a great job setting all the protections and everything too.”

Do you feel like you’re a better quarterback today because of the struggles you had when you were younger in your career?

“Yeah, for sure. I mean, that’s a great question. I think just anybody that goes through an NFL season, you learn so much each year and I try to just take the information that I’ve gathered from each season and work on it in the offseason and apply it the next year during the year. So, I think that’s every good player, anybody in their profession, they’re going to look at themselves and see what they can do better. So, I’ve tried to do that and my goal is to, I always talk about, be consistent every day and don’t be complacent with good results or bad results, just stick to your process. I’ve gone through a lot and a lot of people have gone through a lot, so it’s all about moving forward and really excited for this game coming up.”

Has “Return of the Mac” become a part of your playlist?

“Yeah, I hear that one sometimes and it is a good vibe, but I don’t know if it’s on my playlist. It might not be hype enough for me.”

What is on your playlist?

“It’s a mixed bag to be honest. I have rap, country, a lot of different stuff, techno, so I do it all.”

Kyle and president of football operations/general manager John Lynch have talked about the Rams defensive front as maybe being the best in the league or close to it. What was your impression the first time and how good are they?

“I think that’s a very valid statement. They’re definitely a top defense overall in the league. They play together well, really well-coached and they played well against us and they’re going to continue to grow. They’ve done a great job the past couple weeks on just limiting all the teams they’ve played against. But yeah, it’s going to be a huge challenge. Obviously when you’re playing a team again, you’ve experienced it, but they’re also so good that they’re going to be consistent and you just have to match the energy.”

Have you kind of been an admirer of Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford from afar?

“Oh yeah. He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback and has potential to win the MVP this year. So, he’s the one of the best quarterbacks to ever do it, to throw, just watching his tape growing up and all that stuff. So, I have all the respect in the world for him and he just plays the quarterback position exactly how it’s supposed to be played.”

Did you start watching NFL quarterbacks tape when you were at Alabama?

“Oh, well before that. I started watching when I was probably like 10, nine or 10 years old.”

Just on YouTube I’m guessing?

“Mostly like camps and my quarterback coach, Joe Dickinson, he used to pull up clips. He had the tape so I would watch it with him at quarterback camps and I was the youngest guy there, but he was coaching NFL and college guys, so that’s when I started watching.”

What were some of the first couple quarterbacks you remember?

“I’d have to really think about that one. That’s a great question. I know like [former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger] Big Ben, we liked to watch him just moving around in the pocket and [former NFL QB] Tom Brady, all those guys. So had a lot of good quarterbacks growing up to watch.”

Did you get to know Brady at all just from crossover in New England or just over the years where he’s bounced around now as a broadcaster?

“A little bit, yeah. I mean Tom obviously played very well in this league and is doing a great job in what he’s doing now, so have a lot of respect for him.”

Have you ever played with a running back that was as much of a workhorse as Christian is like just in terms of sheer volume?

“Probably not, honestly. I mean, for him being where he is at in his career and just, he never comes out of the game and that’s just not in his blood. So, I really respect him and it’s because he takes care of his body and he’s always giving a hundred percent each day. So, got a lot of respect for Christian and what he does and think he’s a great role model for every kid out there that wants to play NFL football at a high level.”