Mac Jones Injury Update
Mac Jones, just a few months into wearing 49ers red, is nursing a knee sprain that’s kept him off the practice field all week. It happened last Saturday against the Raiders—maybe you saw it, maybe you blinked and missed it, like my buddy who was still wrestling his nachos during that first-quarter series. No heroic limping or dramatic cart-offs.
OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) reported on Twitter that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones has officially suffered a knee sprain.
He finished out a chunk of the game, ran through four possessions, threw a sharp 13-of-16 for 135 yards—some good and bad, one pick, a couple scores, textbook preseason drama. You sort of hate to see an injury pop up after a performance with that much mixed promise.
Coach Yac (@Coach_Yac) shared that quarterback Mac Jones is not practicing today after sustaining a knee injury in the game against the Raiders.
Coach Shanahan had a moment in one presser (Tuesday, August 19, these things move fast) where he hesitated making Jones a go for the Chargers game: “I haven’t decided yet... especially with Mac being out,” he said, sounding like a guy who wishes his phone battery would last longer on game day.
Is it serious? The inside line seems less doom-and-gloom, more “annoying speed bump.” Shanahan expects Jones to be ready for Week 1 when the regular season kicks off against the Seahawks on September 7, at least as Purdy’s backup.
Nate Sudfeld (remember him?) signed on to help cover reps, Carter Bradley is scrambling for a third-string spot, so the quarterback carousel is in full preseason swing. The vibe around the locker room leans optimistic; no whispers of doomsday surgery or multi-week disappearances, just a bit of caution, one of those “rather safe than sorry” weeks that seems to fill every August in the NFL.
What really sticks with me: these minor injuries always seem to show up right as a new guy starts to find his rhythm. Mac came in this offseason looking to reset after his Patriots rollercoaster, and now he’s got a few days stuck on the sideline, scrolling through game tape, maybe wishing he could just rewind to September in Foxborough when the biggest drama was whether the clam chowder in the break room was fresh.
Not every update is a headline moment, but for a new backup QB trying to write a comeback chapter, even the ordinary setbacks matter. If you’re betting, pencil Jones back in for Week 1; if you’re just watching, maybe root for him a bit harder. This league... it loves a second-chance story, and Mac might just be writing his next one, knee brace and all.
