Mac Jones was supposed to be a backup story. Now he is the breakout star of Tight End University. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback popped up at the annual offseason gathering co founded by George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen, and his vibes went viral.
The footage that started it all came from Dana Beers. In the video, Jones is casually launching downfield throws while bopping along to the music. The arm action is fine. The mechanics are clean. The energy is pure summer barbecue uncle pretending he can still run a forty. That contrast made the internet light up.
“Mac Jones is slinging it. I love him,” Beers captioned the clip. The replies brought the heat.
“He’s moving like Randall from Recess back there,” one fan wrote. “My dad after drinking all day thinking he still got it,” wrote another. “Gotta be the most non athlete looking professional athlete of all time,” wrote a third. “How does he already have the aura of a 60 year old,” wrote a fourth.
The jokes work because they capture something true about Mac Jones the public persona. He has always had a slightly out of place look on an NFL sideline. The college polish at Alabama did not quite translate to the Patriots after Tom Brady left, and the Jacksonville stop did not fix it. Now in the Bay Area as a veteran backup, he looks like a guy who has finally found his lane.
Tight End University has become one of the best events of the NFL offseason. Founded in 2021 by Kittle, Kelce, and Olsen, the camp brings tight ends from across the league to Nashville for drills, content, and team building. Quarterbacks have started showing up to throw and create reps. The whole production has gotten bigger every year.
Jones being there serves a purpose. He is going to be Brock Purdy’s backup, and being on good terms with Kittle is part of fitting in with the 49ers locker room. Showing up to throw passes to one of the best tight ends in the league is a smart move for a player who is trying to lock down his place on a contender.
The numbers from last season tell the rest of the story. Jones appeared in 11 games and started eight for San Francisco. He threw for 2,151 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. The 49ers liked what they saw enough to bring him back on a two year, $8.41 million deal this offseason. He was the rare positive in a 49ers season that had its share of injuries and disappointments.
Internally, the 49ers like Jones. Kyle Shanahan likes that he can move the offense without forcing things. Purdy is the starter and there is no quarterback controversy in San Francisco. The Jones job is to stay sharp, mentor the room, and be ready if Purdy goes down for a stretch.
The viral moment will not change any of that. If anything, it humanizes a player who has spent a few years being defined by his struggles in Foxborough. The Bay Area is a softer landing spot. The fans there generally appreciate guys who keep their heads down and contribute, and the moment of being the internet’s favorite uncle for an afternoon does not hurt his profile in the building.
Take the moment for what it is. A quarterback in his football shorts, throwing passes at a camp full of tight ends, having more fun than anyone else on the field. That is exactly the kind of offseason content the NFL loves to push out. Mac Jones just stole the show.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
