Mac Jones Signs with 49ers, Breathes Life into His Card Market
Ever since former Alabama QB Mac Jones entered the 2021 NFL Draft, there have been rumors about 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's love for him as a player.
On Wednesday the two officially joined forces as Jones signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers to back up starting QB Brock Purdy for the immediate future.
Source: Mac Jones has agreed to terms with the #49ers on a 2-year deal for $7M with 5M guaranteed. Max value of $11.5M. A new, experienced backup for Brock Purdy. pic.twitter.com/mSpazHZQ4e
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2025
Prior to the 2021 NFL Draft, many insiders expected the 49ers to take Mac Jones third overall. As a matter of fact, ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that was the plan all along when the 49ers moved to No. 3. However, during the evaluation process the 49ers fell in love with Trey Lance and selected him instead.
Lance never got any meaningful time as the 49ers starting QB as seventh-round pick Brock Purdy stepped in and never relinquished the role. Lance is now a free agent after being traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
But, what does this Mac Jones move mean for his memorabilia and card market in the short term and long term?
For starters, any time you can get a QB in the Kyle Shanahan system you expect to see a boost in their play. Jones is coming in to be a backup, so don't expect his cards and signed helmets to soar off the shelves, but there is some real upside to his products now.
Shanahan has had a thing for Mac Jones the player for a long time now. The ability to bring him in on a cheap two-year deal seems like more than just the signing of a young player with upside. Could it be that San Francisco is looking for a way out of signing Brock Purdy to a long-term deal?
It's a contract year for Purdy this upcoming offseason and if the 49ers are going to pay him, they're going to have to make him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history. The 49ers have been able to operate with maximum cap flexibility since drafting Purdy because he was on his rookie seventh-round pick deal. However, that all comes to an end next year.
Purdy has never played a full 17-game season in his young career, so chances are that we'll see Mac Jones at some point. Could it be enough to convince the 49ers to stay with Jones instead of Purdy and apply the savings elsewhere on the roster? At the very least, it seems worth it to buy up some Mac Jones memorabilia and collectibles in the coming weeks/months to see how the situation plays out in San Francisco.
Brian has been covering sports and collecting cards for more than a decade. Following both the NFL and MLB draft has become a passion both professionally and personally, so expect lots of prospecting news coming your way. As a loyal Philadelphia sports fan, most of his collection is either athletes on his favorite teams or ones that grew up in the area.